A novel approach for improving the productivity of ubiquinone-10 producing strain by low-energy ion beam irradiation

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2006 Sep;72(3):456-61. doi: 10.1007/s00253-005-0283-4. Epub 2006 Mar 10.

Abstract

Agrobacterium tumefaciens ATCC4452 cells were irradiated by nitrogen ion beam, a new mutagen, with energy of 10 keV and fluence ranging from 2.6x10(14) ions/cm2 to 6.5x10(15) ions/cm2. A similar "saddle shape" survival curve due to ion beam irradiation appeared again in this study. Some mutants with high yield of ubiquinone-10 were induced by ion implantation. High mutation rate and wide mutation spectrum were also observed in the experiment. These results suggested that the mutagenic effect of such low-energy ion influx into bacterium cells could result from multiple processes involving direct collision of particles with cytoplasm, nucleolus, and cascade atomic and molecular reactions due to plentiful primary and secondary particles.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / genetics*
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / metabolism
  • Agrobacterium tumefaciens / radiation effects
  • Industrial Microbiology / methods*
  • Mutation*
  • Nitrogen / chemistry
  • Radiation, Ionizing*
  • Ubiquinone / biosynthesis*
  • Ubiquinone / genetics

Substances

  • Ubiquinone
  • Ubiquinone Q2
  • Nitrogen