title: Survival of M13mp18 gapped duplex DNA as a function of gap length.
abstract: Gaps of various lengths were generated in duplex M13mp18DNA by exonuclease III digestion of nicked DNA. The length of the gap increased essentially linearly with time of digestion. Survival in E. coli, however, was not a linear function of gap length. Similar results were obtained when gaps were produced by stopping the polymerization reaction. The survival (N/No) of the gapped DNA in SOS-induced E. coli cells transformed by electroporation and uninduced cells transformed by the calcium chloride method can be quantitatively accounted for by a kinetic model assuming a single-strand endonucleolytic activity (Pd) in the cell which increases linearly with gap length (L) and a repair activity by a polymerase (Pr) which is independent of gap length (formula 1). With uninduced cells transformed by electroporation the results can be mathematically described if assumptions are made concerning the protection of single-stranded parts of the DNA by single-strand affinic proteins.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Strahlenchemie, Mülheim/Ruhr, F.R.G.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hartke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schulte-Frohlinde
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D013014:SOS Response, Genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; C020133:exodeoxyribonuclease III; D002122:Calcium Chloride