Production of frameshift mutations in Salmonella by a light sensitive azide analog of ethidium

Frameshift mutations have been produced in specific repair-negative Salmonella tester strains by photoaffinity labeling technique using ethidium azide. Reversions requiring a +1 addition or a -2 deletion were specially sensitive. Mutagenesis was reduced by the simultaneous addition of non-mutagenic ethidium bromide, and was prevented by photolysis of the azide prior to culture addition. Identical tester strains active in DNA excision repaire were not mutagenized by the azide. These results are consistent with the interpretation that photolysis of the bound ethidium analog converts the drug from its noncovalent mode of binding (presumably intercalation) to a covalent complex with consequent production of frameshift mutations. Such photoaffinity labeling by drugs which bind to DNA not only confirms the importance of covalent drug attachment for frameshift mutagenesis, but also provides powerful techniques for studying the molecular deatils of a variety of genetic mechanisms.