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DNA repair and mutagenesis in the UV-sensitive mutant UVSI of Aspergillus nidulans

The effects of a newly mapped DNA repair-defective mutant, uvsI, on mutagen sensitivities and mutation were investigated. Results showed that uvsI differs for most of the investigated properties from other uvs mutants of A. nidulans which are known to belong to three different epistatic groups, "UvsF", "UvsC", and "UvsB". Most of these mutants are sterile and many of them alter mitotic recombination frequencies, while uvsI exhibits normal levels of meiotic and mitotic recombination. In addition, uvsI strains are not more sensitive than wild type to MMS (methyl methanesulfonate) to which all other uvs strains are sensitive. However, the uvsI mutant was found to be very sensitive to the killing effects of UV light and the chemical mutagen, 4-NQO (4-nitro-quinoline-N-oxide). In line with the distinct phenotype of uvsI, no epistatic interactions were found for this mutant with any members of the established three epistatic groups. The effects of uvsI on mutagenesis are highly specific and dependent on the mutational test systems. In the uvsI mutant, two types of forward mutation were not affected, but spontaneous and UV-induced reversion frequencies of choA1 and pabaA1 were significantly reduced. Specific effects were further demonstrated in reversion tests of various sC alleles originally isolated as selenate resistant mutants by treatment with EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate), which leads mainly to G:C to A:T transitions. After EMS treatment uvsI mutants showed highly reduced reversion frequencies for all these sC alleles (except one) compared to $uvs sp+$ strains. These results suggest that the uvsI mutation may be defective in AT to GC transition mutagenesis, while increasing transversion(s) from A:T base pairs. In contrast, uvsI affected the frequencies of spontaneous and UV-induced reversions for these sC alleles in a variety of ways. Thus, uvsI may well represent a fourth functional and epistatic group of DNA repair and possibly be involved in a minor mutagenic DN

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.41098
Date January 1993
CreatorsChae, Suhn-Kee
ContributorsKafer, Etta (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageDoctor of Philosophy (Department of Biology.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001341649, proquestno: NN87816, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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