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THE GENETIC CONTROL OF VIRULENCE IN GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI
Author(s) -
RAVDONIKAS LARISSA E.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
acta pathologica microbiologica scandinavica series b: microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0108-0180
DOI - 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1983.tb00009.x
Subject(s) - virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , group (periodic table) , biology , streptococcus , genetics , bacteria , gene , chemistry , organic chemistry
Transfer of five plasmids was studied in 30 different mating systems, involving streptococci of groups A. D and H. The erythromycin resistance marker (Em r ) of all five plasmids was transferable at frequencies ranging from 8times10 7 to 2times10 ‐4 . All original donor strains except SM60 (pERL1) contained phage activity, but evidence was obtained favouring conjugation over transduction as the mechanism of transfer. The process was rec ‐independent. The transconjugants were able to serve as donors of the Em r ‐marker in secondary matings. A shortened derivate (pSM10) of the plasmid pSM10419 could also be transferred. Finally, the presence of the plasmid pSM15346 influenced the expression of the capacity to adhere to human epithelial cells and the resistance to UV‐light of the host, whereas anti‐phagocytic activity and production NADse and of opacity factor was unaffected by the plasmid.