MITOMYCIN-C STIMULATES THERMALLY-INDUCED RECOMBINANT GENE-EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI-MC STRAINS

The effects of mitomycin C on CI857-controlled recombinant gene expres sion have been explored in E. coli cultures when the drug was added si multaneously to the thermal induction. A significantly improved yield of homologous, heterologous and chimeric fusion proteins was observed in E. coli MC1061 and GE864 (a MC4100 derivative) thermoinduced cells. This feature was not detected in other E. coli strains and does not i nvolve a gene dosage mechanism but a strain-dependent stimulation of g ene expression unrelated to the RecA protease activity.