Open AccessA natural mutant of plasmid RP4 that confers phage resistance and reduced conjugative transfer
Author(s) -
Kornstein Laura B.,
Waters Virginia L.,
Cooper Robert C.
Publication year - 1992
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.1574-6968.1992.tb05191.x
Subject(s) - plasmid , mutant , escherichia coli , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteriophage , wild type , pilus , biology , bacteria , transformation (genetics) , mutation , genetics , dna , gene
Abstract A natural isolate of RP4 (PRC#116) acquired from the Stanford University Plasmid Reference Center differed from the wild‐type Incompatibility Group P plasmid in several respects. Cells of Escherichia coli harboring PRC#116 were resistant to the IncP pili‐specific bacteriophage PRD1 and GU5, and transferred this plasmid at a lower efficiency than the wild‐type RP4. Phage sensitivity was restored, and transfer considerably improved in PRC#116 + bacteria transformed with plasmid constructs containing the origin of transfer ( ori T region) of RP4. Mutant RP4 plasmids equivalent to PRC#116 were selected at a high frequency from an RP4 + E. coli population infected with PRD1 indicating that this RP4 variant may be the product of a very common mutation of the wild‐type plasmid.