Open AccessPlasmid maintenance functions encoded on Dictyostelium discoideum nuclear plasmid Ddp1.
Author(s) -
Judith M. Hughes,
Hidenori Kiyosawa,
Dennis L. Welker
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.14.9.6117
Subject(s) - plasmid , biology , dictyostelium discoideum , gene , dictyostelium , t dna binary system , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , recombinant dna , vector (molecular biology)
All of the plasmid-carried genes expressed during vegetative growth are essential for long-term maintenance of plasmid Ddp1 in the nucleus of Dictyostelium discoideum. Deletion of Ddp1 genes expressed only during development had no detectable effect on plasmid maintenance. Deletion of vegetatively expressed genes, either singly or in pairs, resulted in (i) a rapid loss of plasmid from cells grown in the absence of selection for plasmid retention, (ii) variation in the proportion of monomer to multimer forms of the plasmid molecules, and/or (iii) abnormalities in plasmid copy number. At least two plasmid-encoded gene products influence patterns of expression of plasmid genes.