Polyamines protect against DNA strand breaks and aid cell survival against irradiation in Escherichia coli

• Published in: Biotechnology techniques Vol. 12; no. 10; pp. 755 - 758
• Main Authors: Oh, T J, Kim, I G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Chapman and Hall 01-10-1998
• Subjects: Action of physical and chemical agents on bacteria; Bacteriology; Biological and medical sciences; Escherichia coli; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Cadaverine; Polyamine; Escherichia coli; Putrescine; In vitro; Survival; Ultraviolet irradiation; DNA; Microorganism culture; Bacteria; Mutation; Protection; Comparative study; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0951-208X; 1573-6784
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1008864618091

Polyamines protected plasmid DNA strand breaks in vitro and aided the cell survival against irradiation in polyamine-deficient Escherichia coli mutant strain. DNA strand breaks were prevented 4-6 fold more by spermidine and spermine than by putrescine and cadaverine in the dithiothreitol/Fe(III)/O sub(2) system. After UV-irradiation, the protection of DNA strand breaks by spermine and spermidine was twice as effective as that by putrescine and cadaverine. Survivability of polyamine-deficient Escherichia coli mutant cells grown in the medium containing putrescine and spermidine was 2.4- and 3.0-fold as high as in polyamine-depleted medium at a dose of 60 and 40 J/m super(2). After gamma -irradiation to a dose of 80 Gy, cell survivals of a mutant strain were significantly increased to 7.7- and 23.8-fold by putrescine and spermidine, respectively. These results implicate the possibility that polyamines play a potent role in the protection of DNA or cell damage by radiation.