title: Mutagenesis of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis by UV and nitrosoguanidine treatment.
abstract: The production of Spirulina platensis cells resistant to 8-azaguanine or beta-(2-thienyl)-DL-alanine following mutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and UV-irradiation is described. The conditions for the mutagenesis were determined by monitoring cell viability and the appearance of the two types of mutants as a function of the stage of growth of the tricomes and the length and the conditions of the treatment. The optimal conditions for UV and MNNG mutagenesis were found to be 1-3 min irradiation and 30 min incubation with 50 micrograms MNNG/ml of tricomes derived from cultures entering stationary phase sonicated for 10 s and 5 s respectively. Under these conditions beta-(2-thienyl)-DL-alanine-resistant mutants appeared at a frequency greater than or equal to 10(-4) and greater than or equal to 10(-5) following UV- and MNNG-mutagenesis, respectively. Mutants resistant to 8-azaguanine were found at a frequency approx. 10(-5) only after MNNG mutagenesis. A few chlorate-resistant mutants were also obtained following UV treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell Biology, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lanfaloni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trinei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Gualerzi
mesh_terms: D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D007700:Kinetics; D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D008769:Methylnitronitrosoguanidine