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Role of the mukB gene in chromosome and plasmid partition in Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Weitao Tao,
Dasgupta Santanu,
Nordström Kurt
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.02138.x
Subject(s) - plasmid , biology , nucleoid , escherichia coli , chromosome , mutant , genetics , origin of replication , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , chromosome segregation
The intracellular locations of oriC and oriR1 , the replication origins of the chromosome and plasmid R1, respectively, were visualized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in exponentially growing populations of Escherichia coli . The locations of oriC and oriR1 (from a Par + R1 plasmid) were unique and different in the wild‐type host. In a mukB mutant, the positions were perturbed for both origins. The position of oriR1 from a plasmid with active partition (Par + ) in the mukB host was as randomized as that of oriR1 from the Par − plasmid in a wild‐type host. However, this mukB ‐induced randomization did not result in unstable inheritance of the Par + plasmid, as measured by the conventional segregation assay. This might result from the preferential association of the Par + plasmid with the bigger, decondensed nucleoid‐containing daughters during cell division of MukB − cells, whereas the Par − plasmids were distributed at random and were lost by frequently ending up in anucleate cells.