ImuB and ImuC contribute to UV‐induced mutagenesis as part of the SOS regulon in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

• Published in: Environmental and molecular mutagenesis Vol. 60; no. 7; pp. 594 - 601
• Main Authors: Luján, Adela M., Moyano, Alejandro J., Martino, Román A., Feliziani, Sofía, Urretavizcaya, Mariana, Smania, Andrea M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.08.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Deletion mutant; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA biosynthesis; DNA damage; DNA Damage - genetics; DNA polymerase; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA-directed DNA polymerase; DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase - genetics; Environmental conditions; error‐prone DNA polymerases; Gene expression; Genes; imuB; imuC; induced mutagenesis; Irradiation; Mutagenesis; Mutagenesis - genetics; Mutants; Opportunist infection; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Pseudomonas aeruginosa - genetics; Radiation damage; Regulon - genetics; SOS Response, Genetics - genetics; Survival; Transcription; Ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays - adverse effects; imuB; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; imuC; induced mutagenesis; error-prone DNA polymerases
• ISSN: 0893-6692; 1098-2280
• DOI: 10.1002/em.22290

DNA damage‐induced mutagenesis is a process governed by the SOS system that requires the activity of specialized DNA polymerases. These polymerases, which are devoid of proof‐reading activity, serve to increase the probability of survival under stressful conditions in exchange for an error‐prone DNA synthesis. As an opportunistic pathogen of humans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs adaptive responses that originally evolved for survival in many diverse and often stressful environmental conditions, where the action of error‐prone DNA polymerases may be crucial. In this study, we have investigated the role of the polymerases ImuB and ImuC in P. aeruginosa DNA‐damage induced mutagenesis. UV irradiation of imuB‐ and imuC‐deletion mutants showed that both genes contribute to UV‐induced mutagenesis in this bacterium. Furthermore, we confirmed that UV treatment significantly increase the expression levels of the imuB and imuC genes and that they are co‐transcribed as a single transcriptional unit under the control of LexA as part of the SOS regulon in P. aeruginosa. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.