Radiation damage and its repair in non-sporulating bacteria

A review is given of radiation damage and its repair in non-sporulating bacteria. The identification and measurement of radiation damage in the DNA of the bacteria after exposure to ultraviolet radiation and ionizing radiation is described. Measuring the extent of DNA repair and ways of isolating repair mutants are also described. The DNA repair mechanisms for UV-induced damage are discussed including photoreactivation repair, excision repair, post-replication recombination repair and induced error-prone repair. The DNA repair mechanisms for ionizing radiation damage are also discussed including the repair of both single and double-strand breaks. Other aspects discussed include the effects of growth, irradiation medium and recovery medium on survival, DNA repair in humans, the commercial use of UV and ionizing radiations and the future of ionizing irradiation as a food treatment process. (U.K.)