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Volume 83, Issue 2

The Effect of Proflavin, Ethidium Bromide and an Elevated Temperature on the Appearance of Nisin-negative Clones in Nisin-producing Strains of Free

Abstract

SUMMARY In some nisin-producing strains of , clones which were permanently incapable of producing nisin (Nis) appeared spontaneously with a frequency of 0·03 to 0·82 %. Treatment with proflavin (Pro), ethidium bromide (EB) or at a temperature of 40 °C increased the number of such clones. In one strain 78 % of cells became Nis after treatment with Pro.

Treatment with nitrosoguanidine did not reverse the effect of Pro or EB. There was no evidence that Pro or EB selected spontaneously-occurring Nis clones.

These observations suggest that the gene(s) responsible for nisin production in some strains may be located on a plasmid, but further investigation is required to confirm this.

  • Received:
  • Revised:
  • Published Online:
© Society for General Microbiology 1974
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1974-08-01
2025-03-19
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The Effect of Proflavin, Ethidium Bromide and an Elevated Temperature on the Appearance of Nisin-negative Clones in Nisin-producing Strains of Streptococcus lactis
Microbiology 83, 295 (1974); https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-83-2-295
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-83-2-295
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-83-2-295
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