Open AccessThe effect of procaine on the partitioning of plasmid pSC101
Author(s) -
Lancaster Mark,
Prior Susan,
Mann Nicholas H.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1986.tb01814.x
Subject(s) - plasmid , procaine , pbr322 , escherichia coli , chemostat , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , gene , biochemistry , genetics , bacteria , pharmacology
The effect of procaine at a sub‐lethal concentration (20 mM) on the segregational stability of pSC101 and other plasmids in Escherichia coli was examined in phosphate‐limited chemostat culture. Procaine caused segregational instability of pSC101 and a derivative of pBR322 carrying the par function of pSC101. The segregational stability of 2 other unrelated plasmids, RP4 and pDS1109, was unaffected by procaine. It is concluded that the synthesis of a chromosomally encoded membrane protein, under the control of the envZ gene product, is required for pSC101 par function or that the functioning of this protein is impaired by the presence of procaine.