Photoreactivation reverses ultraviolet radiation induced premutagenic lesions leading to frameshift mutations in Escherichia coli.

The effect of photoreactivation of the ultraviolet radiation induced reversion of a trpE9777 frameshift mutation was studied in a uvr A6 derivative of Escherichia coli K12. Two different photoreactivation treatments were used, one providing a single flash of photoreactivating light and another providing 10 min of light from fluorescent lamps. The reversion frequency of the trpE9777 frameshift mutation was strongly reduced when subsequently exposed to visible light. The dose modification factor (the ratio of equally effective doses), for cells challenged with single-flash photoreactivation, for survival and induction of reversion to Trp+ was 3.6 and 3.4, respectively. UV induction of RecA protein synthesis was not reversed by a single flash of photoreactivation. The dose modification factor for 10 min of fluorescent lamp photoreactivation for survival and for induction of reversion to Trp+ was 6.5 and 6.3, respectively. The dose modification factor for 10 min of photoreactivation for induction of RecA protein was 1.7-2.5. Photoreactivation decreased the reversion of trpE9777 and increased survival to the same extent. We concluded that cyclobutyl pyrimidine dimers are the premutagenic lesions of UV mutagenesis of the trpE9777 allele in a uvr A6 background.