Enhancing effect of 50Â Hz rotating magnetic field on induction of Shiga toxin-converting lambdoid prophages

•RMF enhances the prophage-induction effect of mitomycin C.•50 Hz rotating magnetic field alters the induction of Stx prophage.•Effect of 50 Hz RMF is strain specific.

Studies aimed at investigating factors and mechanism of induction of prophages, a major pathogenesis factor of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), are considered important to develop an effective treatment for STEC infections. In this study, we demonstrated the synergistic effect of the rotating magnetic field (RMF) of induction B = 34 mT and frequency ƒ = 50 Hz at a constant temperature of 37 °C and mitomycin C (MMC), that resulted in a higher level of induction of stx-carrying lambdoid Stx prophages. This is a first report on the induction of lambdoid Stx prophages in response to the enhancing effect of popular inductor (mitomycin C) under the influence of RMF.

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