[Molecular mechanisms of adaptation of cells to low levels of carcinogenic agents (author's transl)].

Alkylating agents are powerful carcinogens and mutagens. Recently an inducible process has been described which is capable of repairing the mutagenic lesions produced in the DNA by these agents. This process is known as "adaptation". We describe here some results from in vivo and in vitro studies of the molecular mechanism of this process of Escherichia coli. Furthermore, these results will be compared with those obtained from similar studies conducted in eukaryotes.