Inhibition of Excision Repair of DNA in U.V.-irradiated Escherichia Coli by Phenethyl Alcohol

Summary

Membrane-specific drugs such as procaine and chlorpromazine have been shown to inhibit excision repair of DNA in u.v.-irradiated E. coli. One possible mechanism is that, if association of DNA with the cell membrane is essential for excision repair, this process may be susceptible to drugs affecting the structure of cell membranes. We examined the effect of phenethyl alcohol, which is a membrane-specific drug and known to dissociate the DNA–membrane complex, on excision repair of DNA in u.v.-irradiated E. coli cells. The cells were irradiated with u.v. light and then held at 30°C in buffer (liquid-holding) in the presence or absence of phenethyl alcohol. It was found that phenethyl alcohol inhibits the liquid-holding recovery in both wild-type and recA strains, corresponding to its dissociating action on the DNA–membrane complex. Thus, the association of DNA with cell membrane is an important factor for excision repair in E. coli. Procaine did not show the dissociating effect, suggesting that at least two different mechanisms are responsible for the involvement of cell membrane in excision repair of DNA in E. coli.

• Escherichia coli
• phenethyl alcohol
• DNA-membrane complex
• excision repair
• inhibition of DNA repair
• membrane-specific drug