ParE1 and ParE2 overexpression causes DNA damage, induces SOS, and blocks cell division. (A) Cell and nucleoid morphology and TUNEL analysis of JY650 (ΔparDE2/pBAD-E2/pGZ) and JY716 (ΔparDE1 parDE3/pBAD-E1/pGZ) before and after induction of ParE2 (E2) or ParE1 (E1) expression with 0.02% arabinose and in JY648 (ΔparDE2/pBAD-E2/pGZ-D2) and JY782 (ΔparDE1 parDE3/pBAD-E1/pGZ-D1) after the addition of 0.02% arabinose plus 50 μM IPTG. Scale bar, 2 μm. (B) XbaI-digested genomic DNA isolated from JY648, JY650, JY716, and JY782. ParE1 or ParE2 production was induced with 0.02% arabinose (ara) for 2 h. Lane M, molecular weight standards (k, 103). (C) β-Galactosidase activities of a lexA::lacZ fusion were measured in V. cholerae lacZ in the presence of overexpressed ParE1 (pBAD-E1, dashed columns), ParE2 (pBAD-E2, filled columns), or a vector control (pBAD, open columns). Cultures were grown in LB plus 0.2% glucose to an OD600 of ∼0.3, washed, and then resuspended in either 0.2% glucose (−) or 0.02% arabinose (+) for 1 h before the measurement of β-galactosidase activity. The data represent averages from at least three independent experiments.