title: Fidelity of uracil-initiated base excision DNA repair in Escherichia coli cell extracts.
abstract: The error frequency and mutational specificity associated with Escherichia coli uracil-initiated base excision repair were measured using an M13mp2 lacZalpha DNA-based reversion assay. Repair was detected in cell-free extracts utilizing a form I DNA substrate containing a site-specific uracil residue. The rate and extent of complete uracil-DNA repair were measured using uracil-DNA glycosylase (Ung)- or double-strand uracil-DNA glycosylase (Dug)-proficient and -deficient isogenic E. coli cells. In reactions utilizing E. coli NR8051 (ung(+) dug(+)), approximately 80% of the uracil-DNA was repaired, whereas about 20% repair was observed using NR8052 (ung(-) dug(+)) cells. The Ung-deficient reaction was insensitive to inhibition by the PBS2 uracil-DNA glycosylase inhibitor protein, implying the involvement of Dug activity. Under both conditions, repaired form I DNA accumulated in conjunction with limited DNA synthesis associated with a repair patch size of 1-20 nucleotides. Reactions conducted with E. coli BH156 (ung(-) dug(+)), BH157 (ung(+) dug(-)), and BH158 (ung(-) dug(-)) cells provided direct evidence for the involvement of Dug in uracil-DNA repair. The rate of repair was 5-fold greater in the Ung-proficient than in the Ung-deficient reactions, while repair was not detected in reactions deficient in both Ung and Dug. The base substitution reversion frequency associated with uracil-DNA repair was determined to be approximately 5.5 x 10(-)(4) with transversion mutations dominating the mutational spectrum. In the presence of Dug, inactivation of Ung resulted in up to a 7.3-fold increase in mutation frequency without a dramatic change in mutational specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-7301, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Mosbaugh
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002457:Cell Extracts; D017931:DNA Primers; D004260:DNA Repair; D004261:DNA Replication; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D014498:Uracil / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D017931:DNA Primers; D014498:Uracil