Role of the supX gene in sensitizing Salmonella typhimurium cells to respiration shutoff induced by far ultraviolet irradiation

Salmonella typhimurium strains with supX mutations are known to be sensitive to UV (254 nm) irradiation and to be protected by plasmid pKM101. Wild type (supX+) cells shut off their respiration after UV and are protected against their shutoff by pKM101. Respiration and survival studies were carried out on several supX strains. The supX strains shut off their respiration after low fluences of UV. Plasmid pKM101 protected a supX83 (nonsense mutation) strain against respiration shutoff and killing but did not protect a supX35 (deletion mutation) strain. When each of the two supX genes were in the genetic backgrounds of the other, however, full protection was provided by pKM101. The supX35 strain not protected by pKM101 may have accumulated a modifying mutation. The supX locus is identical with one specifying topoisomerase I which removes negative superhelical turns from DNA. In the absence of this enzyme, transcription of the DNA is increased. It is proposed that the exaggerated shutoff of respiration and increased killing of supX cells occurs because of the greater ease of transcription of an operon involved in UV-induced respiration shutoff. (author)