Signal of induction of recA protein in E. coli.

The nature of the signal(s) responsible for the induction of the SOS functions in E. coli was investigated in dnaA and dnaC mutants, in which recA protein was induced by UV irradiation under conditions where no DNA replication could occur. This induction was dependent upon an active excision-repair system, since it was abolished in a dnaC uvrB double mutant at non-permissive temperature. In such a case, the addition of bleomycin, an agent known to produce single-strand breaks into DNA, was able to restore the induction of the recA protein.