Some aspects of EMS-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

AB2497 and its mutS and umuDC derivatives were EMS-treated at the stationary phase and specificity of mutation measured. It was found that: (i) in mutS+ cells EMS induces predominantly GC-->AT transitions (by supB or supE(oc) formation) and in mutS- cells mainly AT-->TA transversions (by supL(NG) formation); (ii) transversions of AT-->TA are umuDC-dependent and mutational specificity is biased towards AT-->GC transitions in mutS- umuDC- strains. When mutS- umuDC- cells were transfected with plasmids bearing umuD'C or umuDC genes, mutational specificity was again biased towards AT-->TA transversions; (iii) experiments with bacteria bearing umuC::lacZ or recA::lacZ fusions suggest that processing of UmuD-->UmuD' might be poorer in EMS-treated mutS- than in mutS+ cells.