Biomaterial Database

The recA gene and cadmium toxicity in Escherichia coli K12. 1996

N Shapiro, and J D Keasling

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 94720-1462, USA.

The influence of the recA gene on cadmium toxicity was studied in Escherichia coli K12 strains. Those strains mutant in the recA gene showed a 1,000-fold loss of viability upon exposure to cadmium, but recovered and started growing approximately 16-20 h following the initial exposure to cadmium. In contrast to previous studies with E. coli B strains, the E. coli K12 strains carrying a functional recA gene showed little or no loss of viability upon exposure to cadmium. The cells also exhibited a significant lag period in which no net growth occurred and then began growing 16-20 h after initial exposure to cadmium. These results indicate the importance of the recA gene to cell survival during exposure to metals, and also support the hypothesis that cadmium causes DNA damage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009154	Mutation	Any detectable and heritable change in the genetic material that causes a change in the GENOTYPE and which is transmitted to daughter cells and to succeeding generations.	Mutations
D011938	Rec A Recombinases	A family of recombinases initially identified in BACTERIA. They catalyze the ATP-driven exchange of DNA strands in GENETIC RECOMBINATION. The product of the reaction consists of a duplex and a displaced single-stranded loop, which has the shape of the letter D and is therefore called a D-loop structure.	Rec A Protein,RecA Protein,Recombinases, Rec A
D002104	Cadmium	An element with atomic symbol Cd, atomic number 48, and atomic weight 112.41. It is a metal and ingestion will lead to CADMIUM POISONING.
D004260	DNA Repair	The removal of DNA LESIONS and/or restoration of intact DNA strands without BASE PAIR MISMATCHES, intrastrand or interstrand crosslinks, or discontinuities in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbones.	DNA Damage Response
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli