Further mapping of IS2 and IS3 in the lac-purE region of the Escherichia coli K-12 genome: structure of the F-prime ORF203.

The sequence organization of the F-prime ORF203 was determined by heteroduplex analysis. This large, type II F-prime (Scaife, 1967) contains lac, proC, and purE genes derived from the W1485 subline of Escherichia coli K-12. The IS3 and IS2 elements previously found in the lac-proC-purE region derived from the 58-161 subline (Hu et al., 1975) are also present in the same locations in the bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from the W1485 subline. Recombination between the IS2 region of F and an IS2 element located between lac and proC on the bacterial DNA apparently led to the formation of the perental Hfr, OR21. IS2 is thus directly repeated, with one copy of each element appearing at each of the two junctions between F and the bacterial sequences on ORF203. The F plasmid is found together with ORF203 in the plasmid DNA, and this probably forms from ORF203 by recombination between the directly repeated IS2 elements. ORF203 appears to have been excised from the Hfr chromosome by recombination between the IS3 sequence alpha3beta3 located counterclockwise of lac and the directly repeated IS3 sequence alpha4beta4 located clockwise of purE.     

Specificity in formation of type II F'' plasmids.

Eight new F' plasmids derived from Hfr strains in which F is integrated at the chromosomal element alpha 3 beta 3 have been isolated and subjected to restriction enzyme, hybridization, and electron microscope heteroduplex analysis. Plasmids carrying extensive amounts of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid were produced even though they were obtained by selection for transfer of lac, which is closely linked to F in the parental Hfr strains. Seven plasmids were type II Flac+ proC+ purE+ plasmids, and one was a type I Flac+ proC+ plasmid. Five of the Flac+ proC+ purE+ plasmids contain approximately 284 kilobases of bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid, which is identical for all five within the resolution of the restriction enzyme analysis. Theses results indicate that type II F' plasmids are the predominant tra+ F' type from this region of the Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome and that the recombination events leading to formation of these plasmids exhibit site specificity.     

Mapping of chromosomal IS5 elements that mediate type II F-prime plasmid excision in Escherichia coli K-12.

Three IS5 elements were mapped in overlapping chromosomal segments on a series of F-prime plasmids by restriction analysis and hybridization. IS5A was located clockwise of proA near 6 min, IS5B was located clockwise of purE near 12 min, and IS5C was tentatively located near 14 min on the Escherichia coli K-12 map. The physical structures of nine type II F-prime plasmids that contain chromosomal DNA from this region indicated that these plasmids were excised from the chromosome by recombination between pairs of IS5 elements.     

alphabeta sequence of F is IS31.

Previous studies have shown that there is a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segment, of length 1.3 kb and denoted as the alphabeta sequence, which occurs twice on the F plasmid at corrdinates 93.2 to 94.5/OF kb and 13.7 to 15.0F kb. In the present investigation, heteroduplexes were prepared between a phage DNA carrying the insertion sequence IS3 and suitable F-prime DNAs. The hybrids formed show that IS3 is the same as alphabeta. This result plus previous studies support the view that: (i) the insertion sequence IS2 and IS3 occur on F and, in multiple copies, on the main bacterial chromosome of Escherichia coli K-12; and (ii)these IS sequences on the main bacterial chromosomes are hot spots for Hfr formation by reciprocal recombination with the corresponding sequences of F.     

Physical mapping and expression of hybrid plasmids carrying chromosomal beta-lactamase genes of Escherichia coli K-12.

Hybrid plasmids carrying the ampC gene of Escherichia coli K-12 that codes for the chromosomal beta-lactamase were physically studied. The ampC gene was mapped to a deoxyribonucleic acid segment encompassing 1,370 base pairs. The mapping was facilitated by the isolation of a plasmid carrying an insertion of the transposable element gamma delta (gamma delta) close to ampC. The ampA1 mutation, which increases the expression of ampC by a factor of about 20, was localized to a 370-base pair segment of the 1,370-base pair deoxyribonucleic acid segment that contains the ampC gene. Using a minicell protein labeling system, it was seen that plasmids carrying either ampA+, ampC, or ampA1 and ampC coded for a 36,000-dalton protein which comigrated with purified chromosomal beta-lactamase. In cells carrying plasmids that bore the ampA1 allele, the production of this protein was greater. In addition, a protein with a slightly higher molecular weight (38,000) was expressed by both ampA+ ampC and ampA1 ampC plasmids in this protein labeling system. This protein might represent a precursor form of chromosomal beta-lactamasee. From E. coli K-12 strains carrying the ampA1 allele, second-step mutants were isolated that hyperproduced chromosomal beta-lactamase. By reciprocal recombination, plasmid derivatives were isolated that carried these mutations. Two second-step regulatory mutations mapped within the same 370-base pair region as ampA1. This piece of deoxyribonucleic acid therefore contains ampA, a control sequence region for ampC.     

Variants of the plasmid pAS8 delta with increased frequency of integration into Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides chromosome--the result of IS8-element duplication

The possible participation of IS8 and IS elements of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides in cointegrate formation by chromosome of the purple bacterium and plasmid pAS8-121 delta has been studied. The plasmid derivatives having deleted Tn7 have been studied. Plasmid integration into the chromosome of the purple bacterium is shown to be mediated by IS8 element of the plasmid. Plasmid derivatives having the integration potential increased for two orders were isolated by a series of intergeneric conjugational crosses during which plasmid pAS8-121 delta was transferred from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides (cointegrate of plasmid and chromosome) to Escherichia coli (plasmid in an autonomous state) and back to Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. The restriction analysis of plasmid DNA digested by Hpal and Smal restriction endonucleases has revealed the tandem duplications of IS8 in plasmids capable of integration into the chromosome of the purple bacterium with a high frequency.     

IS-elements and their role in genetic recombination]

The data concerning the biological functions and properties of short specific polynucleotide sequences (so called insertion sequences--IS) are reviewed. IS elements integrated in a genome can lead to strongly polar mutations in Escherichia coli, its bacteriophages and plasmids, while some IS (IS2) being integrated in inverted orientation turn on the gene activity. Several copies of the IS elements are present in the E. coli chromosome. A characteristic feature of IS is their ability to recA-independent migration along the bacterial chromosome. Possible mechanisms of IS integration are discussed. IS elements play the key role in the majority of recA-independent recombinational events: F-prime and partially Hfr-formation, plasmid recombination and dissociation, some cases of deletion formation etc. IS elements participate in recombination in the form of direct or inverted repeats. Direct repeats probably determine the processes of dissociation of the complete multicomponent R-factors and other plasmids. Inverted repeats (some of them are palindromes) are responsible for the migration of several drug-resistance determinants called transposons. Possible mechanisms of IS-dependent and probably IS-controlled recombination are discussed.     

Insertion element IS121 is near proA in the chromosomes of Escherichia coli K-12 strains.

Insertion element IS121 was mapped between proA and a previously mapped IS5A element in two F-prime plasmids. Results of hybridizations of IS121 to chromosomal DNA from four other strains suggest that IS121 is normally present at this position in the chromosomes of Escherichia coli K-12 strains.     

Cloning of the phospho-β-galactosidase gene in Escherichia coli from lactose-negative mutants of Streptococcus mutans isolated following random mutagenesis with plasmid pVA891 clone banks

Abstract In order to mutagenize Streptococcus mutans a marker rescue plasmid, pVA891, was employed. The plasmid was ligated with Sau 3AI digested chromosomal DNA fragments from S. mutans GS-5IS3 and the resultant plasmids were amplified in Escherichia coli . These plasmids were then randomly integrated into the chromosome of strain GS-5IS3 following transformation. Lactose-negative transformants were isolated as white colonies on lactose-BTR-Xgal agar plates containing erythromycin. Six lactose-negative mutants representing three different chromosomal sites of integration were isolated from about eight thousand transformants. Mutant chromosomal DNA fragments flanking the plasmids were recovered by a marker-rescue method in E. coli and exhibited phospho-β-galactosidase activity.     

Physical mapping of the Escherichia coli D-serine deaminase region: contiguity of the dsd structural and regulatory genes.

The genes dsdA, dsdO, and dsdC have been located on a 3.0-kilobase pair (kb) fragment of the Escherichia coli chromosome by a combination of techniques. The loci were first cloned onto lambda and various plasmid vectors. dsd hybrid plasmids were then digested with restriction enzymes, and the fragments were recloned to test for the presence of dsdC or dsdA. In one case, a 4.2-kb restriction fragment containing the dsdA operon was used to form a heteroduplex with a well-defined lambda dsd deoxyribonucleic acid. The results show that dsdA, dsdO, and at least 0.6 kb of dsdC are present on this piece of deoxyribonucleic acid. On the basis of the mapping analysis and the molecular weight of D-serine deaminase, 1.9 kb of the 4.2-kb fragment is accounted for by the three dsd loci. We conclude that dsdO and dsdC are contiguous. A detailed dsd restriction map is presented.     

Occurrence of insertion sequence (IS) regions on plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid as direct and inverted nucleotide sequence duplications.

Insertion sequence (IS) regions have been identified previously as a cause of strongly polar mutations in Escherichia coli and several bacteriophages. The present experiments indicate that genetically characterized IS regions occur on bacterial plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as both direct and inverted DNA sequence duplications. The DNA insertion which has been shown previously (Sharp et al., 1973) to control expression of tetracycline resistance in the R6-5 plasmid, and which occurs as directly and inversely repeated DNA sequences adjacent to the region believed to contain the tetracycline resistance gene, has been identified as IS3. A second genetically characterized insertion sequence (IS1) has been identified as a direct DNA duplication occurring at both junctions of the resistance transfer factor and R-determinant components of R6-5 and related plasmids. A model is presented for the reversible dissociation of resistance transfer factor and R-determinant components of co-integrate R plasmids at the sites of DNA sequence homology provided by the repeated IS regions.     

Incompatibility Exhibited by Colicin Plasmids E1, E2, and E3 in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli strains were made multiply colicinogenic for the colicin plasmids E1, E2, or E3 (Col E1, Col E2, or Col E3, respectively) by both a deoxyribonucleic acid transformation system and bacterial conjugation. The multiply colicinogenic bacteria constructed exhibited an immunity to the colicins produced by all the plasmids they carried and also produced colicins corresponding to all the plasmids they carried. An incompatibility was observed among the plasmids. In doubly colicinogenic cells where the presence of two plasmids was established, Col E2 was lost more frequently than Col E3. In triply colicinogenic cells, Col E1, Col E2, and Col E3 were lost, with Col E3 being lost least frequently. A significant reduction in the acquisition of a conjugationally transferred Col E1 plasmid by cells colicinogenic for Col E1 was demonstrated.     

Four types of IS1 with differences in nucleotide sequence reside in the Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome.

The Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome contains six copies of insertion element IS1 at loci is1A-is1F. We determined their nucleotide (nt) sequences and found that they were classified into four types. Two copies of IS1 which flank a chromosomal segment containing the argF gene (IS1B and IS1C) have identical nt sequences. Another identical pair are IS1A and IS1E. Comparison of their nt sequences with the IS1 in plasmid R100 revealed seven nt mismatches for IS1A (or IS1E), two for IS1B (or IS1C), four for IS1D, and 75 for IS1F. The fact that the IS1s flanking the argF segment are identical supports the idea that the segment, together with the particular pair of IS1s, has constituted a composite transposon and transposed after genetic transfer from another bacterial species into E. coli K-12. Duplicated sequences were not observed in the regions flanking each of four copies of IS1, indicating that rearrangements have occurred in these chromosomal regions after IS1 elements had been inserted into several target sites. The four types of IS1 present in the E. coli K-12 chromosome were essentially similar to IS1s in plasmid R100 and in the chromosomes of Shigella strains. This and the above results suggest that they have been transferred horizontally from other Enterobacteriaceae, including Shigella, into E. coli K-12.     

Identification of a novel genetic element in Escherichia coli K-12.

Induction of the SOS repair processes of Escherichia coli K-12 caused a 14.4-kilobase species of circular deoxyribonucleic acid, called element e14, to be excised from the chromosome. To aid further characterization of this species, an 11.6-kilobase segment of e14 was inserted into the HindIII site of plasmid pBR313. To map e14 on the E. coli K-12 chromosome, the recombinant plasmid, pAG2, was used to transform a polA recipient, an event which required integration of pAG2 into the recipient chromosome. This recombinational event was dependent upon the region of homology between the incoming plasmid and the chromosome, as no transformants were scored when either a strain cured of the element was the recipient or pBR313 was the transforming deoxyribonucleic acid. Using these transformants, we have shown that e14 maps between the purB and pyrC loci near min 25. Several strains of E. coli K-12 were found to contain e14; however, one strain, Ymel trpA36, did not. In addition, e14 was found to be absent in both E. coli B/5 and E. coli C. The approach to mapping developed for this work could be used to map other fragments of E. coli deoxyribonucleic acid which have no known phenotype.     

Determination of the functions of hemolytic plasmid pHly152 of Escherichia coli

The alpha-hemolytic Escherichia coli strain PM152 harbors three transmissible plasmids, which have molecular weights of 65 X 10(6) (pA152), 41 X 10(6) pHly152), and 32 X 10(6) (pC152). Plasmids pHly152 and pC152 belong to incompatibility groups J2 and N, respectively. By transforming E. coli K-12 with isolated plasmids, we showed that the genetic determinant required for hemolysis was located entirely on plasmid pHly152, and a physical map of this plasmid was constructed. By transposon mutagenesis, a deoxyribonucleic acid segment of about 3.5 X 10(6) daltons was identified as being essential for hemolysis. Most of the EcoRI and HindIII fragments of the hemolytic plasmid pHly152 were cloned by using pACYC184 and RSF2124 as vectors. Two classes of Tn3-induced hemolysis-negative mutants could be complemented by recombinant plasmids carrying fragments from the hemolysis region of pHly152, whereas a third class could be restored to hemolytic activity only by recombination between the mutant plasmids and a suitable recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid. These data suggest that there are at least three clustered cistrons which are required for hemolysis. Other EcoRI and HindIII fragments of pHly152 were identified as being essential for replication, incompatibility, transfer, and restriction.     

Clustering of genes involved in replication, copy number control, incompatibility, and stable maintenance of the resistance plasmid R1drd-19.

Plasmid R1drd-19 is present in a small number of copies per cell of Escherichia coli. The plasmid was reduced in size by in vivo as well as in vitro (cloning) techniques, resulting in a series of plasmid derivatives of different molecular weight. All plasmids isolated contain a small region (about 2 x 10(6) daltons of deoxyribonucleic acid) of the resistance transfer factor part of the plasmid located close to one of the IS1 sequences that separates the resistance transfer factor part from the resistance determinant. All these derivatives were present at the same copy number, retained the incompatibility properties of plasmid R1drd-19, and were stably maintained during cell division. Genes mutated to yield copy mutations also were found to be located in the same region.     

Hemolysis determinant common to Escherichia coli hemolytic plasmids of different incompatibility groups

By using cloned deoxyribonucleic acid fragments from the hemolysis determinant of the hemolytic plasmid pHly152 as hybridization probes, a deoxyribonucleic acid segment of about 3.8 megadaltons was identified as a common sequence in several hemolytic (Hly) plasmids of Escherichia coli belonging in four different incompatibility groups. This segment contained the genetic information for the synthesis and secretion of the extracellular toxin alpha-hemolysin of E. coli. With the exception of pSU5, representing a composite plasmid, one part of which seems to be very similar to pHly152, the overall sequence homology of these Hly plasmids with pHly152 seems to be rather restricted. However, the Hly plasmid pSU316 showed sequence homology with pHly152 that did not extend beyond the hemolysis determinant. The two other plasmids, pSU233 and pSU105, also shared homology with pHly152 in the hemolysis determinant as well as in various other parts of this plasmid which did not seem to be directly linked to the hemolysis determinant. This suggests that the hemolysis determinant has spread to presumably unrelated plasmids of E. coli.     

Interaction (integration and excision) of the pRP19.6 plasmid, a derivative of the RP1 plasmid containing duplicated sequence IS21, with the chromosome of Escherichia coli K12

A pRP19.6 plasmid is the derivative of the temperature sensitive RPlts12 plasmid and contains a duplicated IS21 (IS8) element. Using temperature sensitive pRP19.6 replication, Hfr strains have been obtained by integration of the plasmid into the chromosome of E. coli rec+ and recA- cells and their properties were studied. According to the results obtained, pRP19.6 insertion into the genome of the rec+ bacteria IS reversible, and its integration into the chromosome of the recA- bacteria produced the stable Hfr strains. To elucidate the mechanism of pRP19.6 excision from the bacterial chromosome, plasmids of R+ transconjugates generated with a low frequency in the crosses between the stable Hfr strains and the rec+ recipients were analyzed. It was shown that the stable Hfr clones might produce stable R1 plasmids as well as a family of deletion KmsTra- derivatives of the pRP19.6. The structure of the KmsTra- was investigated and the mechanism of their formation was proposed. In the light of the data obtained, prospects of pRP19.6 practical application are discussed.     

Structural changes in the composition of amplifying sequence AUD-Sr1 of Streptomyces rimosus after cloning into Escherichia coli

The presence of four EcoRV sites in the composition of the amplifying sequence AUD-Sr1 of S. rimosus resulting from its introduction on vector pUC19 into E. coli was studied. It was shown that the sequence had no EcoRV sites in a S. lividans strain while a number of plasmid and phage DNAs and chromosomal DNA of the strain were to be affected by EcoRV. The following regularities were observed: practically all the investigated hybrid plasmids from E. coli contained EcoRV sites in the composition of the AUD, EcoRV sites were present in strictly specified loci of the AUD sequence, appearance of an EcoRV site was accompanied by an increase in the size of the AUD fragment which contained it, the inserts detected in the SacI-PvuII fragment of the AUD were small in size (0.1 to 0.8 kb) and varied in different hybrid plasmids. The following mechanisms are discussed: insertion of the E. coli IS element into the AUD-Sr1 and high mutability of the amplifying sequence AUD-Sr1 in E. coli.