Open AccessBleomycin-resistance gene derived from the transposon Tn5 confers selective advantage to Escherichia coli K-12.
Author(s) -
Michel Blot,
Jürg Meyer,
Werner Arber
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.88.20.9112
Subject(s) - transposable element , biology , escherichia coli , plasmid , genetics , gene , kanamycin , mutant , sleeping beauty transposon system , mutation , gene product , transposon mutagenesis , operon , gene expression
The plasmid pRAB2 contains a silent operon derived from the transposon Tn5 and carrying the gene neo for neomycin-kanamycin resistance and a truncated ble gene (ble333) for bleomycin resistance. Spontaneous mutants that express the two resistances provide Escherichia coli cells an improved fitness during the phase of decline in the absence of the antibiotics. It is shown that the ble333 gene product is responsible for this better fitness. These results can explain a previously described selective advantage attributed to the presence of Tn5. The improved fitness of bleomycin-resistant bacteria is proposed to relate to DNA repair by the ble gene product. The consequences of the presence of an accessory gene improving fitness are discussed in terms of evolutionary stable strategy of a transposon in populations of E. coli.