Experimental and Theoretical Cross Sections for Escherichia coli Mutants B, B/r, and${\rm B}_{{\rm s}\text{-}1}$ after Heavy-Ion Irradiation

Data for the inactivation of three Escherichia coli mutants by energetic heavy ions are fitted by the track theory of a one-hit detector in an extended target mode. The respective$E_{0}\text{'}{\rm s}$ are 46, 36.5, and 12.6 Gy for E. coli B, B/r, and${\rm B}_{{\rm s}\text{-}1}$ and a₀, the assumed target radius, is 0.5 μm for all three. The parameter E₀, the$D_{37}$ with γ rays, is measured directly, while a₀ is fitted to the data. It is significant that neither a point target model nor calculations with$a_{0}=0.2$ and 1.0 μm fit the data. Our fitted target radius, a₀ approximates the size of the bacterium. These results raise questions as to why the E. coli mutants are one-hit detectors, and concerning the differences in the$E_{0}\text{'}{\rm s}$ in relation to a mechanistic interpretation of cell killing.