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Recombination between Mycobacterium smegmatis Strains Jucho and Lacticola
Author(s) -
Mizuguchi Yasuo,
Tokunaga Tohru
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
japanese journal of microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0021-5139
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1971.tb00592.x
Subject(s) - auxotrophy , mycobacterium smegmatis , biology , reversion , strain (injury) , mutant , recombinant dna , genetic recombination , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , recombination , gene , phenotype , mycobacterium tuberculosis , tuberculosis , pathology , anatomy , medicine
ABSTRACT Genetic recombination was demonstrated in the genus Mycobacterium . Auxotrophic mutants of M. smegmatis strain Jucho requiring different growth factors did not yield prototrophic recombinants when progenies from mixed cultures were inoculated onto minimal medium. Similarly, mutants of M. smegmatis strain Lacticola did not produce prototrophic recombinants. When mating was attempted between auxotrophs of the strains Jucho and Lacticola, prototrophic recombinants were recovered at frequencies of about 10 −3 to 10 −5 of total cells, while the frequency of reversion of either parent was less than 10 −7 . The segregation of unselected characters was noticed in recombinants resulting from interstrain matings. No prototrophic recombinant was detected in any cross in liquid media. Incubation of mutants of one strain with a culture filtrate or deoxyribonucleic acid of another compatible strain produced no recombinant. It was suggested that a conjugal mechanism rather than a transforming or transducing principle played an important role in the above observed gene‐transfer. Pretreatment of parental cells with acridine dyes did not eliminate the ability to produce recombinants.