Evidence for Base Substitutions and Repair of DNA Mismatch Damage Induced by Low Energy N^＋ Ion Beam Implantation in E. coli

Ever since the low energy N^ ion beam has been accepted, the mutations of ionizing radia-tion are attributable mainly to avoidance of DNA damages repair. Evidences based on in vivo proof results are limited. Using the E. coli wild type and mutator strains, the mutant frequencies suggest that base substitutions in rpoB gene are induced by the N^ implantation. A highly con-served region is selected to get the direct evidence for base substitutions by sequence of the high fi-delity PCR amplification products in mutants. Most of the mutants (90.9%, 40/44) have at least one base substitution in the amplification region. The evidences for CG to TA (55 %, 22/40), AT to GC (20%, 8/40) and TA to CG (5%, 2/40) transitions are identified. The transversions are AT to TA ( 15 %, 6/40) and GC to CG (5 %, 2/40). It is suggested that DNA cytosine methylase might play an important role in mismatch repair of DNA damage induced by N^ implantation by analysis of the mutant frequencies of mutator strains.