Photoreactivation of ultraviolet-irradiated, plasmid-bearing, and plasmid-free strains of Bacillus anthracis

The effects of toxin- and capsule-encoding plasmids on the kinetics of UV inactivation of various strains of Bacillus anthracis were investigated. Plasmids pXO1 and pXO2 had no effect on bacterial UV sensitivity or photoreactivation. Vegetative cells were capable of photoreactivation, but photo-induced repair of UV damage was absent in B. anthracis Sterne spores.