Journal article
The Frequency of Mutators in Populations of Escherichia coli
Owing to occasional spontaneous mutations in genes encoding DNA repair, any population of a reasonable size is expected to harbor a sub-population of genetic mutators. Using a genetically modified strain of Escherichia coli K-12, we have estimated the frequency of mutators to be about 3x10(-5). By and large, this corresponds to a mutation rate from non-mutators to mutators of 5x10(-6) per bacterium per generation.
Using a mutS∷Tn10 derivative as representative for mutators, we estimated the increase in mutation rates in mutators to be 19- to 82-fold, depending on the test-mutation under consideration. The load associated with this increase in mutation rate resulted in a growth inhibition of 1%. From these data, we estimated that the rate of detrimental mutations in the non-mutators to be 2x10(-4)-8x10(-4).
The situations where adaptive mutations may result in an increase in the frequency of mutators are discussed.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2000 |
Pages: | 47-55 |
ISSN: | 1873135x and 00275107 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1016/S0027-5107(99)00239-0 |
ORCIDs: | Jensen, Peter Ruhdal |
Adenosine Triphosphatases Bacterial Proteins Cell Division Culture Media DNA Repair DNA-Binding Proteins Escherichia coli Escherichia coli Proteins Gene Frequency Genetics, Population Lac Repressors LacI protein, E coli Lactose MutS DNA Mismatch-Binding Protein MutS protein, E coli Mutation Repressor Proteins Selection, Genetic