DNA repair in Proteus mirabilis. III.Survival, dimer excision, and UV reactivation in comparison with Escherichia coli K12.

Measurements of UV sensitivity of wildtype cells (wt) and UV senistive mutants of E. coli and P. mirabilis suggest that the increased sensitivity of P. mirabilis (wt) is due either to incomplete repair of DNA lesions or to additive lethality probably as a result of UV induction of defective phage(s) present in P. mitabilis (Taubeneck, 1967). Direct estimates of the rate of pyrimidine dimer excision and a comparison of the UV reactivation capacity of E. coli and P. mirabilis for the temperate phages lambda and pi 1, respectively, support this conclusion.