Specific for DNA damages GFP microbial biosensor as a tool for genotoxic action assessment of environmental pollution

In the presented paper, autofluorescent reporter of Escherichia coli K-12 recA::gfpmut2 strain, which contained a plasmid-borne transcriptional fusion between DNA-damage inducible recA promoter involved in the SOS regulon response and fast folding GFP variant reporter gene-gfpmut2, have been used. GFP-based bacterial biosensors allowed the detection of bacterial cells response to selected tested genotoxic compounds such as mitomycin C (MMC), actinomycin D, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) and formaldehyde (CH2O). Experiment indicated that E. coli K-12 recA::gfpmut2 biosensor strain is more specific and sensitive for especially two genotoxins: actinomycin D and MNNG and with very low response to other agents. So it was concluded that for formaldehyde and MMC E. coli K-12 recA::gfpmut2 genetic system is disqualified for genotoxicity screening.