title: Biological effects of DNA damage in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.
abstract: To investigate the generality of efficient double-strand break repair and damage-induced mutagenesis in hyperthermophilic archaea, we systematically measured the effects of five DNA-damaging agents on Sulfolobus acidocaldarius and compared the results to those obtained for Escherichia coli under corresponding conditions. The observed lethality of gamma-radiation was very similar for S. acidocaldarius and E. coli, arguing against unusually efficient double-strand break repair in S. acidocaldarius. In addition, DNA-strand-breaking agents (gamma-radiation or bleomycin), as well as DNA-cross-linking agents (mechlorethamine, butadiene diepoxide or cisplatin) stimulated forward mutation, reverse mutation, and formation of recombinants via conjugation in Sulfolobus cells. Although two of the five DNA-damaging agents failed to revert the E. coli auxotrophs under these conditions, all five reverted S. acidocaldarius auxotrophs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210006, Cincinnati, OH 54221-0006, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: Dennis W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Grogan
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D004249:DNA Damage; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005720:Gamma Rays; D016296:Mutagenesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D016945:Sulfolobus acidocaldarius / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D001761:Bleomycin; D004247:DNA