SOS factors involved in translesion synthesis

Mutations are permanent DNA sequence changes that can be induced when replication occurs on a damaged DNA template. In Escherichia coli, the process of translesion synthesis past a lesion that hinders replication requires the induction of SOS-controlled gene products, among which are those of the umuDC operon. To study translesion synthesis in vivo, we have constructed single-stranded vectors containing single 2-acetylaminofluorene adducts located within −1 and −2 frameshift mutation hot spots formed by short repetitive sequences. These adducts strongly hinder DNA replication as only 2–5% of the molecules give rise to progeny under non-SOS-induced conditions. Induction of the SOS response lead to a 10-fold increase in survival. Adducts present within repetitive sequences trigger the formation of misaligned primer/template replication intermediates which, upon elongation, will result in the fixation of frameshift errors (mutagenic translesion synthesis). Surprisingly we find that elongation from the nonslipped intermediate depends upon functional umuDC(+) gene products, whereas elongation from the slipped intermediate is umuDC(+) independent but requires another, as yet biochemically uncharacterized, SOS function. These data are discussed in terms of the different steps involved during translesion synthesis through a replication-blocking lesion.