Mutations in Escherichia Coli Induced by Chemical Agents

Witkin, E. M. (1947) Mutations in Escherichia Coli Induced by Chemical Agents. Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, 12. pp. 256-269.

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Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Bi947-Witkin-SQB.1947.012.01.027 1.pdf - Published Version

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URL: http://symposium.cshlp.org/content/12/256
DOI: 10.1101/SQB.1947.012.01.027

Abstract

For over two decades geneticists have been interested in the possibility of inducing mutations with chemicals. Particularly, it has been hoped that mutagenic compounds might be discovered which, through their specificity of action, would lead to some understanding of the chemical basis of mutation, and ultimately of the structure and organization of the gene. The first clearly successful attempt to induce genetic changes chemically was described by Auerbach and Robson (1944), who produced mutations and chromosomal abberrations in Drosophila by exposing the flies to mustard gas and related compounds. More recently, Demerec (1947 and unpub.) has shown that certain carcinogenic hydrocarbons (1, 2, 5, 6-dibenzanthracene, methylcholanthrene, beta naphthylamine, benzpyrene) are also effective in inducing mutations in Drosophila. These agents, like radiations, appear to be entirely nonspecific in the sense that the affected loci are distributed at random along the treated chromosomes. Nitrogen mustard has been shown to induce genetic alterations in Neurospora (Tatum, unpub.; Horowitz, Houlahan, Hungate and Wright, 1946), and in bacteria (Tatum, 1946; Bryson, unpub.), and at least one of the carcinogens, methylcholanthrene, is effective in Neurospora (Tatum, unpub.).

Item Type: Paper
Uncontrolled Keywords: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Biology
Subjects: organism description > bacteria > escherichia coli
bioinformatics > genomics and proteomics > genetics & nucleic acid processing > DNA, RNA structure, function, modification > mutations
CSHL Authors:
Communities: The Carnegie Institution Department of Genetics
Depositing User: Matt Covey
Date: 1947
Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2015 21:42
Last Modified: 04 Sep 2015 15:20
URI: https://repository.cshl.edu/id/eprint/31031

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