Targeted disruption of the PD78 gene (traF) reduces pheromone-inducible conjugal transfer of the bacteriocin plasmid pPD1 in Enterococcus faecalis |
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| Authors: | Jiro Nakayama Don B Clewell Akinori Suzuki |
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| Institution: | Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Division of Agriculture and Agricultural Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan; Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, School of Dentistry and Department of Microbiology /Immunology, School of Medicine, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078, USA |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Bacterial sex pheromone, cPD1, induces sexual aggregation of Enterococcus faecalis harboring the bacteriocin plasmid, pPD1, and enables pPD1 to transfer at high frequency in a liquid culture. PD78 is a cPD1-inducible cell surface protein encoded by pPD1. The PD78 gene, traF , was disrupted by homologous recombination between pPD1 and an artificial vector having a deletion in the middle portion of traF . The disruption of traF did not affect the cPD1-inducible aggregation but reduced the transfer frequency of pPD1 to 2% of the wild-type level. |
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| Keywords: | Enterococcus faecalis Conjugative plasmid Gene disruption Bacterial sex pheromone traF pPDl |
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