Oxidative Damage to Bacterial DNA and Evicence for Its Repair

Oxidative damage to DNA can be caused by excited oxygen species, which are produced by radiation or are by-products of aerobic metabolism. Endogenous evels of 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), an adduct that results from the damage of DNA caused by hydroxyl radical,have been detected in E. coli and S. typhimurium. Treatment of bacterial cells with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide caused a moderate increase in the 8-OH-dG content. The enzymatic release of 8-OH-dG from asocorbate/Cu(II)-treated DNA was effected by an extract of E. coli cells. These results indicate that 8-OH-dG is formed in vivo inbacterial DNA through endogenous oxidative mechanisms and on treatment with an oxygen radical-producing agent and that it is repairable.