Open AccessRelease of Extracellular Transformable Plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli Cocultivated with Algae
Author(s) -
Kazuaki Matsui,
Nobuyoshi Ishii,
Zen’ichiro Kawabata
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.69.4.2399-2404.2003
Subject(s) - plasmid , euglena gracilis , escherichia coli , biology , microcystis aeruginosa , chlorophyta , microbiology and biotechnology , southern blot , algae , plasmid preparation , dna , cyanobacteria , biochemistry , bacteria , gene , chloroplast , botany , genetics , pbr322
We studied the effects of cocultivation with either Euglena gracilis (Euglenophyta), Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanophyta), Chlamydomonas neglecta (Chlorophyta), or Carteria inversa (Chlorophyta) on the production of extracellular plasmid DNA by Escherichia coli LE392(pKZ105). Dot blot hybridization analysis showed a significant release of plasmid DNA by cocultivation with all the algae tested. Further analysis by electrotransformation confirmed the release of transformable plasmid DNA by cocultivation with either E. gracilis, M. aeruginosa, or C. inversa. These results suggest algal involvement in bacterial horizontal gene transfer by stimulating the release of transformable DNA into aquatic environments.