CONSTRUCTION OF UMU-FHUA OPERON FUSIONS TO DETECT GENOTOXIC POTENTIALBY AN ANTIBODY CELL-SURFACE REACTION

For the environmental monitoring of genotoxic effects of chemicals, a new test system was developed using immunochemical detection of a cell surface reporter protein of Escherichia coli. A umu-fhuA operon fusio n was constructed on plasmid pST12, which is inducible via the SOS sys tem by the mutagenic agent methyl-methane-sulfonate (MMS). The express ion of the outer membrane protein FhuA as a reporter was detectable on the cell surface with a monoclonal anti-FhuA antibody. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed t hat the operon fusion of PST12 led to specific and strong induction of the reporter protein FhuA after genotoxic treatment with MMS. (C) 199 4 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.