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PubMed1994

Identification and characterization of a transmissible linear plasmid from Rhodococcus erythropolis BD2 that encodes isopropylbenzene and trichloroethene catabolism.

Rhodococcus erythropolis BD2, which is able to utilize isopropylbenzene as a sole carbon and energy source, was shown to contain a conjugative linear plasmid, pBD2. The estimated size of pBD2 is 208 to 212 kb. Linear plasmid-deficient strains had lost both the isopropylbenzene degradation and trichloroethene degradation characteristics, as well as the arsenite resistance and mercury resistance phenotypes. Reintroduction of pBD2 restored all four characteristics. Conjugational transfer of pBD2 to a plasmidless mutant of strain BD2 and other R. erythropolis strains occurred at frequencies between 3.5 x 10(-5) and 2.6 x 10(-3) transconjugants per recipient. R. erythropolis BD2 degrades isopropylbenzene via 3-isopropylcatechol and 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-7-methylocta-2,4-dienoate. Both isopropylbenzene-oxidizing and meta-cleavage activities were shown to correspond with the presence of pBD2. Southern hybridizations with DNA encoding the toluene dioxygenase structural genes (todC1C2BA) from Pseudomonas putida F1 revealed homology to linear plasmid DNA. These results indicate that the isopropylbenzene degradation pathway encoded by linear plasmid pBD2 is initiated by an isopropylbenzene dioxygenase analogous to toluene dioxygenase.

Arsenites↗
PubMed1998

Cloning and characterization of the lactococcal plasmid-encoded type II restriction/modification system, LlaDII.

The LlaDII restriction/modification (R/M) system was found on the naturally occurring 8.9-kb plasmid pHW393 in Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris W39. A 2.4-kb PstI-EcoRI fragment inserted into the Escherichia coli-L. lactis shuttle vector pCI3340 conferred to L. lactis LM2301 and L. lactis SMQ86 resistance against representatives of the three most common lactococcal phage species: 936, P335, and c2. The LlaDII endonuclease was partially purified and found to recognize and cleave the sequence 5'-GC decreases NGC-3', where the arrow indicates the cleavage site. It is thus an isoschizomer of the commercially available restriction endonuclease Fnu4HI. Sequencing of the 2.4-kb PstI-EcoRI fragment revealed two open reading frames arranged tandemly and separated by a 105-bp intergenic region. The endonuclease gene of 543 bp preceded the methylase gene of 954 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence of the LlaDII R/M system showed high homology to that of its only sequenced isoschizomer, Bsp6I from Bacillus sp. strain RFL6, with 41% identity between the endonucleases and 60% identity between the methylases. The genetic organizations of the LlaDII and Bsp6I R/M systems are identical. Both methylases have two recognition sites (5'-GCGGC-3' and 5'-GCCGC-3') forming a putative stemloop structure spanning part of the presumed -35 sequence and part of the intervening region between the -35 and -10 sequences. Alignment of the LlaDII and Bsp6I methylases with other m5C methylases showed that the protein primary structures possessed the same organization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Molecular characterization of a theta replication plasmid and its use for development of a two-component food-grade cloning system for Lactococcus lactis.

pCD4, a small, highly stable theta-replicating lactococcal plasmid, was used to develop a food-grade cloning system. Sequence analysis revealed five open reading frames and two putative cis-acting regions. None appears to code for undesirable phenotypes with regard to food applications. Functional analysis of the replication module showed that only the cis-acting ori region and the repB gene coding for the replication initiator protein were needed for the stable replication and maintenance of pCD4 derivatives in Lactococcus lactis. A two-component food-grade cloning system was derived from the pCD4 replicon. The vector pVEC1, which carries the functional pCD4 replicon, is entirely made up of L. lactis DNA and has no selection marker. The companion pCOM1 is a repB-deficient pCD4 derivative that carries an erythromycin resistance gene as a dominant selection marker. The pCOM1 construct can only replicate in L. lactis if trans complemented by the RepB initiator provided by pVEC1. Since only the cotransformants that carry both pVEC1 and pCOM1 can survive on plates containing erythromycin, pCOM1 can be used transiently to select cells that have acquired pVEC1. Due to the intrinsic incompatibility between these plasmids, pCOM1 can be readily cured from the cells grown on an antibiotic-free medium after the selection step. The system was used to introduce a phage resistance mechanism into the laboratory strain MG1363 of L. lactis and two industrial strains. The introduction of the antiphage barrier did not alter the wild-type plasmid profile of the industrial strains. The phenotype was stable after 100 generations and conferred an effective resistance phenotype against phages of the 936 and c2 species.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1978

Characterization of an Escherichia coli plasmid encoding for synthesis of heat-labile toxin: molecular cloning of the toxin determinant.

P307 is a plasmid isolated from a strain of Escherichia coli that was responsible for an outbreak of diarrheal disease in piglets. This 60 X 10(6)-dalton plasmid was subsequently shown to encode for the synthesis of a heat-labile toxin (LT). Using recombinant DNA technology, we isolated a 7.8 X 10(6)-dalton DNA fragment that contains the LT gene(s). This fragment was generated using an EcoRI partial digestion of P307 DNA, and the fragment was joined to a small multicopy plasmid, RSF2124. E. coli strains harboring the chimeric plasmid produced greater amounts of LT than did the same strains containing P307. The LT genes were also isolated on a 5.8 X 10(6)-dalton DNA fragment made by BamHI digestion, and we identified an EcoRI recognition sequence that is located in a position essential for LT synthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Cloning and characterization of Streptococcus mutans LM7 plasmid pAM7.

The 5.6-kilobase-pair cryptic plasmid, pAM7, of Streptococcus mutans LM7 was cloned into Escherichia coli plasmids or a shuttle plasmid to examine whether the plasmid encodes bacteriocin. Plasmid pAM7 encoded proteins with molecular weights of 30,000, 22,000, and 12,000, but none of them appeared to be bacteriocin.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1987

Molecular cloning and expression of Neisseria meningitidis class 1 outer membrane protein in Escherichia coli K-12.

A genomic library of meningococcal DNA from a clinical isolate of Neisseria meningitidis was constructed in the expression vector lambda gt11. Outer membrane complex was prepared from the same strain and used to immunize rabbits to raise polyclonal anti-outer membrane complex serum. The amplified library was probed with this polyclonal serum, and seven expressing recombinants were isolated; further investigations indicated these to be identical. The expressed meningococcal gene in these recombinants was fused to vector beta-galactosidase and shown to encode epitopes present on the 42-kilodalton class 1 outer membrane protein. Estimation of the size of the recombinant fusion protein suggests that up to 40 kilodaltons of protein-coding sequence is present. The lambda gt11 recombinant contains a 3.4-kilobase DNA insert, which has been recloned into a plasmid and characterized by restriction endonuclease analysis. A restriction fragment from the insert, representing the protein-coding region hybridizes to a single 2.2-kilobase XbaI fragment from the homologous strain and to similar-sized XbaI fragments in other strains of meningococci, expressing antigenically distinct class 1 proteins.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1974

Isolation and characterization of mutants of colicin plasmids E1 and E2 after Mu bacteriophage infection.

Cells colicinogenic for the colicin plasmids E1 or E2 (Col E1 and Col E2, respectively) were selected for a loss of colicin production after infection with bacteriophage Mu. Extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid that was larger than the original colicin plasmids was found in such cells. A small insertion mutant in Col E1 deoxyribonucleic acid affecting active colicin production without affecting either expression of colicin immunity or Col E1 deoxyribonucleic acid replication was found. Cells carrying this Col E1 plasmid mutant do not exhibit the lethal event associated with colicin E1 induction, suggesting that synthesis of active colicin is required for killing during induction. The altered Col E2 plasmid, containing an insertion at least as large as phage Mu, was maintained unstably in the mutants examined.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗
PubMed1976

Translocation of a discrete piece of deoxyribonucleic acid carrying an amp gene between replicons in Eschericha coli.

A number of well-characterized R plasmids (R1drd 19. K1.R100-1, R46, R55-1, R64-11, R388, and R751) will mobilize an integrated amp gene from the chromosome of Escherichia coli K-12. R391 will not act in this way. The process involves recombination, and in each case the mobilizing plasmid acquires an additional piece of deoxyribonucleic acid of molecular weight 4 X 10(6). Acquisition of this deoxyribonucleic acid may impair the transfer properties of the recombinant plasmid in some cases. The process will occur in a recA background.

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1977

Isolation and characterization of four types of plasmids from Bacillus subtilis (natto).

Covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acids were found in 10 strains of Bacillus natto. The plasmids could be classified into four types on the basis of the molecular weights as well as the patterns in agarose gel electrophoresis after digestion with restriction endonucleases: (i) plasmids (seven were detected) with a molecular weight of 3.6 X 10(6); (ii) plasmids (two were detected) with a molecular weight of 4.0 X 10(6); (iii) plasmids (eight were detected) with a molecular weight of about 34 X 10(6); and (iv), a plasmid with an approximate molecular weight of 46 X 10(6). Out of the 10 plasmid-carrying strains, 6 (IFO3009, IFO3013, IFO3335, IFO13169, IAM1143, and IAM1207) harbored both type 1 and 3 plasmids; 2 (IAM1114 and IAM1168) harbored both type 2 and 3 plasmids, and IFO3936 and IAM1163 carried type 1 and 4 plasmids, respectively.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed1977

Fractionation of inducible alkane hydroxylase activity in Pseudomonas putida and characterization of hydroxylase-negative plasmid mutations.

The plasmid-determined inducible alkane hydroxylase of Pseudomonas putida resolved into particulate and soluble fractions. Spinach reductase and spinach ferredoxin could replace the soluble hydroxylase component. Two alkane hydroxylase mutants show in vitro complementation (S. Benson and J. Shapiro, J. Bacteriol., 123: 759-760, 1975): one, alk-7, lacks an active soluble component and the other, alk-181, lacks an active particulate component. Together with previous results on a particulate alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme (Benson and Shapiro, J. Bacteriol., 126: 794-798, 1976), these results allowed us to assay three plasmid-determined inducible activities: soluble alkane hydroxylase (alkA+), particulate alkane hydroxylase (alkB+), and particulate alcohol dehydrogenase (alkC+). Growth tests and in vitro complementation assays revealed three groups of plasmid mutations that block expression of alkane hydroxylase activity: alkA, which so far includes only the alk-7 mutation; alkB, which includes alk-181 and 11 other mutations; and a pleiotropic-negative class, which includes nine mutations that lead to loss of alkA+, alkB+, and alkC+ activities. Thus, the alk+ gene cluster found on IncP-2 plasmids contains at least four cistrons. We believe it is significant that two of these determined the presence of membrane proteins. The accompanying paper shows that these loci are part of a single regulon.

Alkanes↗
PubMed1978

Isolation and characterization of mutants of the plasmid pKM101 deficient in their ability to enhance mutagenesis and repair.

A screening procedure was developed for identifying mutants of the plasmid pKM101 no longer capable of enhancing mutagenesis. The test was based on the large pKM101-mediated increase in the number of Gal+ papillae observed on colonies of Salmonella typhimurium gal mutants plated on tetrazolium-galactose plates in the presence of a mutagen. The pKM101 mutant plasmids transferred normally, were stably maintained in cells, caused normal levels of ampicillin resistance, and still imparted sensitivity to phage Ike to their hosts. However, the pKM101 mutants had lost the ability to (i) enhance the reversion of both point and frameshift mutations, (ii) protect the cells against killing by UV irradiation, (iii) increase the spontaneous reversion rates of point mutations, (iv) enhance plasmid-mediated reactivation of UV-irradiated phage P22, (v) enhance Weigle reactivation. One pKM101 mutant with different properties from the others was identified by its increased spontaneous mutator effect. It is suggested that pKM101 amplifies the activity of the inducible error-prone repair systems in bacteria and that this is the function of pKM101 in the Ames Salmonella tester strains used for detection of carcinogens as mutagens.

Ampicillin↗
PubMed1980

Biochemical and immunological characterization of an R plasmid-encoded protein with properties resembling those of major cellular outer membrane proteins.

MRB, a major R222 plasmid-encoded protein previously described by us, is synthesized in large amounts in host Escherichia coli cells, where it is located principally in the outer membrane. Most of this protein is also bound to the peptidoglycan layer in a form which is trypsin resistant. Its monomeric molecular weight is about 29,000, but it is isolated from cell membranes in aggregate molecular weights of more than 100,000. These properties demonstrate a strong similarity between MRB and porins, major outer membrane proteins of host E. coli cells. They suggest that MRB may have an as-yet unidentified transport function, as do cellular outer membrane proteins with similar biochemical properties. By using antiserum specific for MRB, we demonstrated identity between MRB and the product of the traT gene, one of the surface exclusion proteins on the F plasmid. The synthesis of MRB was found to be constitutive, in contrast to other tra genes, which appear to be under more rigid regulation by the tra operon. These findings suggest that on R222 and other F-like R plasmids this protein has its own promoter.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1980

Characterization of promoter-cloning plasmids: analysis of operon structure in the rif region of Escherichia coli and isolation of an enhanced internal promoter mutant.

Using the promotor-cloning vehicle described by An and Friesen (J. Bacteriol. 140:400-410, 1979), Escherichia coli chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid fragments derived from the lambda drifd18 transducing phage were cloned in one of several unique restriction endonuclease sites adjacent to tetracycline(tet) genes that lack their own promotor. One of these plasmids has been used to isolate nine variants having mutations that lie in a putative internal promoter which is located between rplL and rpoB. Deoxyribonucleic acid sequence analysis revealed that, in all nine mutants, a single base change, C to T, in the ribonucleic acid polymerase recognition site led to a large increase in promoter activity. Analysis of a variety of plasmids in which tet is fused to various promoters yielded the following results: (i) rplK and rplA, genes for ribosomal protein L11 and L1, respectively, were cotranscribed from a common promoter located upstream from rplK; (ii) there was a strong promoter in the region between the rplKA operon and rplJ, the gene for ribosomal protein L10; (iii) an attenuator region was located between rplL, the gene for ribosomal protein L12, and rpoB, the gene for ribonucleic acid polymerase subunit beta; (iv) transcription terminated immediately after rpoC, the gene for ribonucleic acid polymerase subunit beta'; (v) a gene coding for unknown protein U, which is located between tufB and the rplKA operon, had its own promoter; (vi) the tufB gene was separated from all of the genes described above and had its own promoter.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1981

Isolation and characterization of linear deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids from Kluyveromyces lactis and the plasmid-associated killer character.

Two linear deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids, designated pGK11 and pGK12, were isolated from the yeast Kluyveromyces lactis IFO 1267. pGK11 and pGK12 had molecular weights of 5.4 X 10(6) and 8.4 X 10(6), respectively. Both plasmids possessed the same density of 1.687 g/cm3, lighter than the densities of mitochondrial (1.692 g/cm3) and nuclear (1.699 g/cm3) deoxyribonucleic acids. A restriction map of pGK11 was constructed from digestions by EcoRI, HindIII, PstI, and BamHI. pGK12 was cleaved by EcoRI into seven fragments and by BamHI into two fragments K. lactis IFO 1267 killed Saccharomyces cerevisiae sensitive and killer strains and certain strains of Saccharomyces italicus, K. lactis, Kluyveromyces thermotolerans, and K. vanudenii. All K. lactis strains lacking the pGK1 plasmids were nonkillers. A hybrid was constructed between K. lactis IFO 1267 and a nonkiller K. lactis strain lacking the plasmids and subjected to tetrad analysis after sporulation. The killer character was extrachromosomally transmitted in all tetrads in association with the pGK1 plasmids. The double-stranded ribonucleic acid killer plasmid could not be detected in any K. lactis killer strains. It is thus highly probable that the killer character is mediated by the linear deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids. A single chromosomal gene was found which was responsible for the resistance to the K. lactis killer.

Ascomycota↗
PubMed1981

Physical characterization of Bacteroides fragilis R plasmid pBF4.

Bacteroides fragilis V479-1 has previously been shown to harbor a self-transmissible 27 X 10(6)-dalton plasmid (pBF4) which confers lincosamide-macrolide resistance. The present study has focused on the physical properties of pBF4. The plasmid was found to be present in 1 to 2 copies per chromosomal equivalent. pBF4 was genetically stable, although spontaneously occurring plasmidless segregants could be detected at low frequency (approximately 1%). This frequency was unaffected by growth of cells in ethidium bromide. About one-third of all spontaneously occurring macrolide-lincosamide-sensitive clones of strain V479-1 were found to contain pBF4 molecules that carried deletions. Ten independently obtained deletion derivatives of pBF4 from lincosamide-macrolide-sensitive strains were compared with the parental pBF4 by restriction endonuclease cleavage analysis. A restriction site map of pBF4 was constructed, and the location of the deletions was approximated. Self-annealed pBF4 molecules, examined by electron microscopy, revealed the presence of two pairs of inverted repeat (IR) sequences on the plasmid. IR-1 was about 400 base pairs in length, and its two component members were separated by an intervening sequence of about 15 kilobases. IR-2 was about 75 base pairs in length, and its component members were separated by 4.2 kilobases. Each of the deletions of pBF4 studied had a terminus at or near the same IR-2 sequence.

Bacteroides fragilis↗
PubMed1981

Isolation and characterization of spontaneously occurring TOL plasmid mutants of Pseudomonas putida HS1.

A strain of Pseudomonas (P. putida HS1) was found to resemble P. putida (arvilla) mt-2 in its ability to degrade toluene, m- and p-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (pseudocumene), and 3-ethyltoluene via oxidation of a methyl substituent and reactions of the meta-fission pathway. The ability to degrade these substrates by P. putida HS1 (PpC1) was shown to be encoded by a TOL (pDK1) plasmid as evidenced by: (i) spontaneous loss of the TOL-related phenotype after growth with benzoate, (ii) transfer of the TOL character from the wild type into cured recipients by conjugation, and (iii) isolation of a plasmid of identical molecular weight (120 X 10(6)) from both the wild type and an exconjugant obtained by mating wild type with a putative cured recipient. In addition to the isolation of apparent cured strains having lost the entire TOL-related phenotype, two additional mutant classes were observed after growth on benzoate. One class, represented by PpCT1, was unable to utilize the alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds but retained the ability to grow with toluene and benzyl alcohol. Analysis of PpCT1 revealed that it was unable to synthesize the TOL-encoded toluate oxidase and enzymes of the meta pathway but retained the ability to elaborate activities for toluene hydroxylase, benzyl alcohol, and benzaldehyde dehydrogenase, thereby mediating initial oxidation of toluene to benzoate, which was then further metabolized via enzymes of the chromosomally encoded ortho-fission pathway. A second class of mutants had lost the ability to utilize the hydrocarbons but could still grow with m-toluate but not p-toluate, 3,4-dimethylbenzoate, or 3-ethylbenzoate, intermediates in the oxidation of the corresponding hydrocarbons. Our such mutant, PpCM1, could no longer synthesize enzymes required for initial oxidation of the hydrocarbons, but was able to produce the toluate oxidase and enzymes of the meta pathway, thereby facilitating degradation of m-toluate. Neither PpCT1, PpCM1, nor a putative cured strain, PpCC1, reverted at detectable frequencies (less than 10(-9). Analysis of each strain for plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid revealed the presence of a single plasmid in each strain with the following molecular weights: PpCM1, 100 X 10(6) (pDKM1); PpCT1, 80 X 10(6) (pDKT1); PpCC1 20 X 10(6) (pDKC1). The results suggest that the TOL (pDK1) plasmid has undergone deletions giving rise to smaller replicons which either encode for only a fraction of the wild-type catabolic functions (pDKM1, pDKT1) or have lost all catabolic activities (pDKC1).

Benzoates↗
PubMed1982

Isolation and characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa R' plasmids constructed by interspecific mating.

Plasmid R68.45 was used to construct R' plasmids carrying a maximum of 4 to 5 map minutes of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO chromosome by interspecific mating, using P. putida PPN as the recipient. These R' plasmids were used to determine the map location of the amiE locus and to identify tentatively a number of P. putida auxotrophic mutations. Some of these R' plasmids could not be maintained in recombination-deficient P. aeruginosa strains.

Chromosomes, Bacterial↗