Determinants of spontaneous mutation in the bacterium Escherichia coli as revealed by whole-genome sequencing
Abstract
Because genetic variation underlies evolution, a complete understanding of evolutionary processes requires identifying and characterizing the forces determining the stability of the genome. Using mutation accumulation and whole-genome sequencing, we found that spontaneous mutation rates in three widely diverged Escherichia coli strains are nearly identical. To determine the importance of DNA damage in driving mutation rates, we investigated 11 strains, each defective for a major DNA repair pathway. The striking result was that only loss of the ability to repair or prevent oxidative DNA damage significantly impacted mutation rates and spectra. These results suggest that, with the exception of those that defend against oxidative damage, DNA repair pathways may exist primarily to defend against DNA damage induced by exogenous agents.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Oct 12, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1512136112
Entities
People
- Ellen Popodi
- Haixu Tang
- Heewook Lee
- Jesse P. Townes
- Patricia L. Foster
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- Indiana University