Escherichia coli mutants induced by multi-ion irradiation

Wild-type Escherichia coli K12 strain W3110 was irradiated by 10 keV nitrogen ions. Specifically, irradiation was performed six times by N(+) ions, followed by the selection of lac constitutive mutants, and each time a stable S55 mutant was produced. By sequencing the whole genome, the fine map of S55 was completed. Compared with reference sequences, a total of eighteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two insertions and deletions (Indels), and nine structural variations (SVs) were found in the S55 genome. Among the 18 SNPs, 11 are transversional from A, T or C to G, accounting for 55.6% of point mutations. GCCA insertion occurs in the target gene lacI. Four SNPs, including three in rlpB and one in ygbN, are connected with cell envelope and transport. All nine structural variations of S55 are deletions and contain insertion sequence (IS) elements. Six deleted SVs contain disrupted ISs, nonfunctional pseudogenes, and one more 23 252 bp SV in the Rac prophage region. Overall, our results show that deletion bias observed in E. coli K12 genome evolution is generally related to the deletion of some nonfunctional regions. Furthermore, since ISs are unstable factors in a genome, the multi-ion irradiations that caused these deleted fragments in S55 turn out to be beneficial to genome stability, generating a wider mutational spectrum. Thus, it is possible that the mutation of these genes increases the ability of the E. coli genome to resist etch and damage caused by ion irradiation.