Identification and mapping of nitrogen fixation genes of Rhodobacter capsulatus: duplication of a nifA-nifB region.

Rhodobacter capsulatus mutants unable to fix nitrogen were isolated by random transposon Tn5 mutagenesis. The Tn5 insertion sites of 30 Nif- mutants were mapped within three unlinked chromosomal regions designated A, B, and C. The majority of Tn5 insertions (21 mutants) map within nif region A, characterized by two ClaI fragments of 2.5 and 25 kilobases (kb). The 17-kb ClaI fragment of nif region B contains six nif::Tn5 insertions, and the three remaining mutations are located on a 32-kb ClaI fragment of nif region C. Hybridization experiments using all 17 Klebsiella pneumoniae nif genes individually as probes revealed homology to nifE, nifS, nifA, and nifB in nif region A. The nifHDK genes were localized in nif region B. About 2 kb away from this operon, a second copy of the DNA fragments homologous to nifA and nifB, originally found in nif region A, was identified.     

Physical mapping of the conjugative bacteriocin plasmid pPD1 of Enterococcus faecalis and identification of the determinant related to the pheromone response.

The pheromone-responding conjugative bacteriocin plasmid pPD1 (59 kb) of Enterococcus faecalis was mapped physically by using a relational clone approach, and transposon analysis with Tn917 (Emr) or Tn916 (Tcr) facilitated the location of the bacteriocin-related genes in a segment of about 6.7 kb. Tn917 insertions within a 3-kb region resulted in constitutive clumping. The nucleotide sequence of the region that included the insertions giving rise to constitutive clumping was determined. The region of pPD1 spanned about 8 kb and was found to contain a number of open reading frames, some of which were named on the basis of homologies with two other pheromone-responding plasmids, pAD1 and pCF10. The genes were arranged in the sequence repB-repA-traC-traB-traA-ipd-traE-traF- orfY-sea-1 with all but repB and traA oriented in the same (left-to-right) direction. traC and traB corresponded, respectively, to traC and traB of pAD1 and to prgY and prgZ of pCF10.     

Hot spot for Tn1000 insertions in cloned repressor gene of the L phage

Insertions of Tn1000 into a cloned fragment of the L-phage genome comprising the repressor gene were prepared. Repressor activities produced by plasmids with insertions were assayed in vivo. As a result, the repressor gene was localized within 0.5 kb near one end of the cloned fragment. Transposon insertions were nonrandomly clustered within the repressor gene and in its close vicinity. An analysis of supercoiled plasmid DNA with the nuclease S1 revealed no distortion of the secondary structure of DNA in this region.     

Genetic analysis of attTn7, the transposon Tn7 attachment site in Escherichia coli, using a novel M13-based transduction assay

The large (14 kb; kb = 10(3) bases) bacterial transposon, Tn7 (encoding resistance to trimethoprim and streptomycin/spectinomycin), has unusual properties. Like other elements, Tn7 transposes with low efficiency and low target-site specificity, but Tn7 also transposes, with high frequency in a unique orientation, to a preferred "attachment" site, called attTn7, in the Escherichia coli chromosome and similarly into plasmids containing attTn7. We developed a novel bacteriophage M13-based assay system to measure the transposition frequency of Tn7 to M13mp phage vectors containing attTn7 on a cloned 1 kb fragment of chromosomal DNA. Phage harvested from a Tn7 donor strain were used to infect recipient bacteria with selection for trimethoprim resistance. Transposition frequency, expressed as the number of trimethoprim-resistant colonies per plaque-forming unit, was found to be approximately 10(-4) to M13mp::attTn7, in contrast to 10(-10) to M13mp recombinants with approximately 1 kb insertions of other, "generic brand", DNA. By deletion analysis of M13mp::attTn7, we show that attTn7 is contained within a 64 base-pair region; sequences adjacent to the actual insertion site and encoding the carboxy terminus of the glmS gene are required. This assay also provided evidence for transposition immunity conferred by the right end of Tn7.     

Hot spot for Tn1000 insertions in cloned reprossor gene of the L phage

Insertions of Tn1000 into a cloned fragment of the L-phage genome comprising the repressor gene were prepared. Repressor activities produced by plasmids with insertions were assayed in vivo. As a result, the repressor gene was localized within 0.5 kb near one end of the cloned fragment. Transposon insertions were nonrandomly clustered within the repressor gene and in its close vicinity. An analysis of supercoiled plasmid DNA with the nuclease S1 revealed no distortion of the secondary structure of DNA in this region.     

Transposon mutagenesis analysis of meta-cleavage pathway operon genes of the TOL plasmid of Pseudomonas putida mt-2.

Hybrid plasmids containing the regulated meta-cleavage pathway operon of TOL plasmid pWWO were mutagenized with transposon Tn1000 or Tn5. The resulting insertion mutant plasmids were examined for their ability to express eight of the catabolic enzymes in Escherichia coli. The physical locations of the insertions in each of 28 Tn1000 and 5 Tn5 derivative plasmids were determined by restriction endonuclease cleavage analysis. This information permitted the construction of a precise physical and genetic map of the meta-cleavage pathway operon. The gene order xylD (toluate dioxygenase), L (dihydroxycyclohexidiene carboxylate dehydrogenase), E (catechol 2,3-dioxygenase), G (hydroxymuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase), F (hydroxymuconic semialdehyde hydrolase), J (2-oxopent-4-enoate hydratase), I (4-oxalocrotonate decarboxylase), and H (4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase) was established, and gene sizes were estimated. Tn1000 insertions within catabolic genes exerted polar effects on distal structural genes of the operon, but not on an adjacent regulatory gene xylS.     

Reduced restriction of EcoK in the presence of the plasmid pKM ard+. II. Cloning of the gene ard

Plasmid pKM101 affects the I type restriction EcoK in E. coli. The gene ard responsible for alleviation of EcoK restriction was shown to be located within the BglIIB fragment of pKM101. Here we have cloned ard gene into high copy vectors pBR322 and pUC12. Plasmid pD12 was constructed by introducing into pUC12 a 1.87 kb HindIII-Pst fragment, carrying ard gene. Tn5 and Tn1000 insertions were obtained in the ard gene region.     

A genetic determinant required for continuous reinfection of adjacent cells on large plasmid in S. flexneri 2a

We have identified a region (virG) on the 230 kb virulence plasmid of S. flexneri that is required for cell-to-cell spread of the bacterium. Tn5 insertions into this region result in avirulent mutants that can initially invade and multiply in epithelial cells, but tend to lose active movement and tend to localize within the cytoplasm, where they are gradually extinguished without infecting adjacent cells. The virG region was localized to within 4 kb and may contain a single cistron. Sequences hybridizing to this region were found in all intact virulence plasmids of Shigellae and enteroinvasive E. coli.     

Physical and genetic mapping of the catA region of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A prime plasmid has been used as the basis for the construction of a physical and genetic map of a 125 kb segment of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO chromosome. Using pMO1811, a prime plasmid selected for the catA region, a series of Tn5 insertions were obtained which identified two new markers gcu (glycine utilization) and oap (organic acids and alcohols permeability) in the 125 kb region and located them in relation to other known markers of this region. A cosmid bank was constructed from the prime plasmid and an ordered array of cosmid clones for this region identified by restriction endonuclease mapping with EcoRI, HindIII and KpnI, as well as complementation mapping and chromosome walking. By Southern hybridization analyses, it was confirmed that the chromosomal insert carried by pMO1811 was flanked by single, tandemly arranged copies of IS21 and the orientation of the insert on this prime was determined. This cosmid bank provides a resource for the further analysis of this region of the P. aeruginosa genome.     

Broad-host-range IncP-4 plasmid R1162: effects of deletions and insertions on plasmid maintenance and host range

R1162 is an 8.7-kilobase (kb) broad-host-range replicon encoding resistance to streptomycin and sulfa drugs. In vitro deletion of 1.8-kb DNA between coordinates 3.0 and 5.3 kb did not affect plasmid maintenance, but a Tn1 insertion at coordinate 6.3 kb led to a recessive defect in plasmid maintenance. The only cis-acting region necessary for plasmid replication appears to lie between the Tn1 insertion at coordinate 6.3 kb and a second Tn1 insertion at coordinate 6.5 kb. All R1162 sequences between position 6.5 kb and the EcoRI site at coordinate 8.7/0 kb were dispensible for replication in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida. Plasmids carrying insertions in a variety of restriction sites in an R1162::Tn1 derivative were unstable in P. putida but stable in E. coli. Tn5 insertions in R1162 showed a hot spot at coordinate 7.5 kb. A Tn5 insertion at coordinate 8.2 kb appeared to mark the 3' end of the streptomycin phosphotransferase coding sequence. All R1162::Tn5 derivatives showed specific instability in Pseudomonas strains but not in E. coli. The instability could be relieved by internal deletions of Tn5 sequences. In the haloaromatic-degrading Pseudomonas sp. strain B13, introduction of an unstable R1162::Tn5 plasmid led to loss of ability to utilize m-chlorobenzoate as a growth substrate. Our results showed that alteration of plasmid sequence organization in nonessential regions can result in restriction of plasmid host range.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants affected in crown gall tumorigenesis and octopine catabolism.

Mutants of Agrobacterium tumefaciens which affect virulence or the ability to catabolize octopine were isolated after Tn5-induced mutagenesis. Of 8,900 colonies tested, 7 mutants with Tn5 insertions in a specific region of other Ti plasmid unable to catabolize octopine were isolated. Thirty-seven mutants affected in tumorigenesis resulted from insertions in the Ti plasmid and the Agrobacterium chromosome. Of these mutations, 12 were chromosomal and 25 mapped on the plasmid. Twenty-three mapped within a 20-megadalton region, which is distinct from the Ti plasmid sequences found stably integrated into the plant cell genome T-deoxyribonucleic acid). Included in these were mutants that were either a virulent or produced tumors with unusual morphologies. Three mutants contained insertions in the T-deoxyribonucleic acid. These three mutants incited tumors which synthesized octopine but had an altered morphology due to either extensive proliferation of shoots or roots from the tumor callus. Three additional mutants not caused by Tn5 contained mutations in the Ti plasmid.     

TOL is a broad-host-range plasmid.

We readily isolated insertions of the carbenicillin resistance element Tn401 into the TOL plasmid in Pseudomonas putida. Hybrid TOL::Tn401 plasmids stably express the Cbr phenotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Whereas the replicative and conjugative functions are expressed in both hosts, the ability to grow on m-toluate is only expressed in the Pseudomonas species.     

浑球红细菌谷氨酸合酶基因(glt)的克隆和图谱分析

利用转座子Tn5随机插入诱变筛选得到12株浑球红细菌(Rhodobacter sphaeroides)氨同化缺陷突变株(Asm~-)。这些突变株胞内均无GOGAT活性,同时它们均无固氮酶活性(Nif~-),并且具有氮代谢多效性缺失表型(Ntr~-)。将含有Azorhizobium sesbaniae ORS571的完整glt基因的质粒pHB10转入突变株中能互补上述表型。通过筛选携带Tn5的R-prime质粒克隆了glt::Tn5片段。Southern杂交证明所克隆glt::Tn5片段与E. coli的gltBD基因有同源性。用此片段与以pLAFR3为载体所构建的R. sphaeroides 601基因文库进行菌落原位杂交筛选到了携带glt基因的cosmid pLT27。pLT27能互补所有12株R.sphaeroides氨同化缺陷突变株。酶切分析表明在该cosmid中插人的染色体DNA片段大小约为26.5kb。以pRK415为载体亚克隆了4.0kb与10.5kh的pLT27的Hindlll酶切片段,分别命名为pLTRK271与pLTRK272。pLTRK272能互补变种GT6、GT10、GT11,pLTRK…     

Complete sequence determination combined with analysis of transposition/site-specific recombination events to explain genetic organization of IncP-7 TOL plasmid pWW53 and related mobile genetic elements

Recent studies have indicated that the evolutionarily common catabolic gene clusters are loaded on structurally diverse toluene-catabolic (TOL) plasmids and their residing transposons. To elucidate the mechanisms supporting the diversification of catabolic plasmids and transposons, we determined here the complete 107,929 bp sequence of pWW53, a TOL plasmid from Pseudomonas putida MT53. pWW53 was found to belong to the IncP-7 incompatibility group that play important roles in the catabolism of several xenobiotics. pWW53 carried two distinct transposase-resolvase gene clusters (tnpAR modules), five short terminal inverted repeats (IRs), and three site-specific resolution (res) sites that are all typical of class II transposons. This organization of pWW53 suggested the four possible transposable regions, Tn4657 to Tn4660. The largest 86 kb region (Tn4657) spanned the three other regions, and Tn4657 and Tn4660 (62 kb) covered all of the 36 xyl genes for toluene catabolism. Our subsequent transposition experiments clarified that the three transposons, Tn4657 to Tn4659, indeed exhibit their transposability, and that pWW53 also generated another 37 kb toluene-catabolic transposon, Tn4656, which carried the two separated and inversely oriented segments of pWW53: the tnpRA-IR module of Tn4658 and a part of xyl gene clusters on Tn4657. The Tn4658 transposase was able to mediate the transposition of Tn4658, Tn4657, and Tn4656, while the Tn4659 transposase catalyzed only the transposition of Tn4659. Tn4656 was formed by the Tn4658 resolvase-mediated site-specific inversion between the two inversely oriented res sites on pWW53. These findings and comparison with other catabolic plasmids clearly indicate multiple copies of transposition-related genes and sites on one plasmid and their recombination activities contribute greatly to the diversification of plasmid structures as well as wide dissemination of the evolutionary common gene clusters in various plasmids.