Functional properties of the pOV13 plasmid as a vector for DNA cloning in a broad spectrum of gram negative bacteria

The birepliconed plasmid pOV13 possesses all the properties of a vector for DNA cloning in a broad host range of bacterial cells. pOV13 is transfered by transformation and stably inherited by Escherichia coli, Brucella, Pseudomonas cells determining the resistance to streptomycin, tetrocycline and kanamycin in these bacteria. The plasmid pOV13 is a multicopy plasmid optimal in replication capacity (23kb). The plasmid carries single sites for some restriction endonucleases that are used for DNA cloning, including some restriction sites in antibiotic resistance genes. The examples of DNA cloning with the selection of recombinant clones by the insertional inactivation of kanamycin or tetracycline resistance and expression of the cloned DNAs are presented.     

Molecular genetic organization and origin of plasmid pBS52 with a broad range of bacterial hosts

The data are presented on the localization of genetic determinants of resistance to streptomycin, ampicillin and sulfanilamides on the physical map of conjugative R plasmid pBS52 of 38,000 bp which has a broad bacterial host range and belongs to a new incompatibility group. The plasmid has a natural "polylinker" site (less than 200 bp) containing (in the order of arrangement) the recognition sites for restriction enzymes: BamHI-EcoRI-PstI-EcoRV-BglII (PvuII). The comparative analysis shows that pBS52 contains a segment homologous to DNA of plasmid RSE1010 (IncP-4). The evolutionary origin of plasmid pBS52 is discussed. The recA-independent formation of the mini-derivatives of pBS373 and pBS374 types during the transformation of Escherichia coli with pBS52 plasmid DNA has been shown. Plasmids pBS373 and yBS374 are capable of autonomous replication in Pseudomonas putida and P. aeruginosa cells, which is provided by the rep system of IncP-4 replicon.     

A new plasmid pBS1001 with broad range of hosts

A new broad host-range plasmid capable of conjugative transfer has been isolated and characterized. The plasmid has the high frequency of conjugation transfer, is capable of conjugative transfer mobilization of nonconjugative plasmids, carries no known phenotypic markers. The plasmid demonstrates the specific interaction with the plasmids of P incompatibility group. The comparatively small size of the plasmid permits one to use it efficiently for comparative study of organization of the broad host range plasmids.     

A plasmid cloning vector for Kpnl-cleaved DNA

A plasmid cloning vector containing a single site for KpnI has been generated by insertion of a 3.5-kb EcoRI/HindIII fragment of pCR1 into the EcoRI/HindIII sites of pBR322. KpnI cleavage yields 3′ rather than 5′ “sticky ends” which allows reconstitution of the recognition site after cloning by a homopolymer joining procedure. This is an advantage shared with only one or two other commercially available restriction enzymes.     

Genetic characteristics and physical organization of the R-plasmid pBS52 with a broad range of bacterial hosts

The genetic and physical data on Pseudomonas aeruginosa plasmid pBS52 coding for the resistances to ampicillin, streptomycin and sulfonamids have been obtained. This conjugative plasmid is transferable to a broad range of gram-negative bacterial hosts and compatible with the broad host-range plasmids from all known incompatibility groups. The plasmid size has been determined (38 Kb) and a physical map has been constructed using restriction endonucleases EcoRI, EcoRV, BamHI, BglII, PstI, PvuII, SalI, SlaI. The presence of a fragment, approximately 200 bp in size, which contains the sites for many of widely used restriction endonucleases is a characteristic feature of the plasmid pBS52.     

Structural-functional organization of R-plasmid pBS222 with a broad range of bacterial hosts

The broad host-range plasmid pBS222 is compatible with broad host-range plasmids of all known incompatibility groups and codes for tetracycline resistance. pBS222 is efficiently mobilized by Inc P-1 plasmid RP4 and is also capable of conjugal transfer with low efficiency to different gramnegative microorganisms. The size of the plasmid (17.2 Kb) has been determined and its physical map has been constructed. The plasmid harbours the unique sites for restriction endonucleases BglII, HindIII, HpaI, KpnI, SmaI and XbaI cleawage. The plasmid derivatives pBS352-pBS355 have been obtained that carry kan- and cam-determinants in addition to tet-gene. Plasmid pBS355 has been used to clone EcoRI-fragments of phage lambda DNA. The plasmid pBS222 regions essential for replication and maintenance have been localized by DNA hybridization analysis of its mini-derivatives pBS356 and 357. pBS222 is a convenient model for investigations of the plasmid replication and maintenance mechanisms in different bacterial hosts as well as for the construction of broad host-range vectors.     

Isolation and characterization of a cryptic plasmid from mesophilic aeromonads: potential as a cloning vector

A 2.6 kb covalently closed circular plasmid has been isolated from clinical and environmental isolates of Aeromonas sobria and A. hydrophila. The possibility that the plasmid carries genetic determinants that mediate resistance to a variety of anti-microbial agents has been eliminated. The plasmid is stable at approximately 20-25 copies per chromosome equivalent which, together with its relatively small size and the presence of unique restriction sites, makes it a good candidate for development as a cloning vector.     

A plasmid cloning vector for KpnI-cleaved DNA

A plasmid cloning vector containing a single site for KpnI has been generated by insertion of a 3.5-kb EcoRI/HindIII fragment of pCR1 into the EcoRI/HindIII sites of pBR322. KpnI cleavage yields 3′ rather than 5′ “sticky ends” which allows reconstitution of the recognition site after cloning by a homopolymer joining procedure. This is an advantage shared with only one or two other commercially available restriction enzymes.     

Analysis of the conjugation system of plasmid pBS1001 with a broad range of hosts]

Tn5-induced tra mutations were localized on the physical map of a broad host range plasmid pBS1001. Mutations were united into three clusters covering 25% of plasmid DNA. They were distributed in 7 groups by complementation analysis. It was shown that coexistence of tra mutants of pBS1001 and RP4 within the same cell did not restore conjugation properties of both plasmids. High frequency mobilization of some known vectors by pBS1001 was demonstrated.     

Method for cloning single-stranded oligonucleotides in a plasmid vector

A method for cloning single-stranded oligonucleotides in a plasmid vector has been developed. The method relies on ligation of the oligonucleotide into suitable restriction enzyme sites of the cloning vector such that the site at the 5' end has a 5' overhang [for example, a Bgl II site (A decreases GATCT)], and the site at the 3' end has a 3' overhang [for example, a Sac I site (GAGCT decreases C)]. This arrangement allows the oligonucleotide to anneal to the single-stranded ends of the vector and to be covalently joined by T4 DNA ligase. The complementary strand can be synthesized in vitro to generate a double-stranded plasmid, or the partially single-stranded molecule can be used as a target for site-directed mutagenesis. The subsequent transfer of the oligonucleotide to test plasmids or excision for other manipulations, such as band shift experiments to identify protein binding sites, is facilitated by cloning of the oligonucleotide into a polylinker containing multiple restriction enzyme sites. For this purpose, the plasmid vector, pKP59, which is a 2.0 kB derivative of pBR322 lacking "poison sequences" and containing 16 cloning sites, has been the most satisfactory.     

A plasmid cloning vector for the direct selection of strains carrying recombinant plasmids

A plasmid cloning vector with ampicillin-resistance and streptomycin-sensitivity markers is suitable for the direct selection of strains carrying recombinant plasmids. The selection for plasmid transformants utilizes their ampicillin resistance whereas selection for recombinant plasmids is based on the inactivation of the rpsL gene contained on the plasmid. When streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli strains are used as recipients in transformation, transformants carrying the parental plasmid are phenotypically sensitive to streptomycin while those carrying hybrid plasmids are resistant to streptomycin.     

Isolation and properties of recombinant DNA from a plasmid and filamentous phage

In the course of studying extrachromosomal DNA with composite replicons, a hybrid has been constructed by the in vitro recombination of the filamentous phage M13mp2 DNA (RF) and plasmid pUR222 (ApR). Both parental DNAs contain a fragment of lac-operon (ca. 800 bp), which includes the distal end of lacI gene, lacPO segments, and the lacZ gene proximal region coding for 145 N-terminal amino acid residues of beta-galactosidase and thus providing for alpha-complementation, the effect being cancelled with a polynucleotide insertion at the unique EcoRI site in the lacZ gene segment. E. coli BMH71-18 cells were transformed with the ligated mixture of EcoRI restricts of both DNAs. A phage-like nucleoprotein was isolated from colourless plaques (on the Xgal- and IPTG-supplemented medium); its deproteinization yielded a DNA which contains the ApR-determinant and, according to PAGE, structurally specific staining, restriction analysis, sequencing by the Sanger procedure, and electron microscopy data, is a linear double-stranded molecule comprising the phage and plasmid genomes in an equimolar ratio. Since the hybrid DNA does not display the alpha-complementation effect, both bacterial inserts are in the opposite orientation. Transformation of both phage (F+) and plasmid (F-) hosts with the hybrid DNA led to cultures which, after precipitation of the nucleoprotein from the extracellular medium and deproteinization, afforded the same composite DNA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Characteristics of derivatives of the plasmid RP4 in a broad range of hosts with altered properties of maintenance and inheritance

Hydroxylamine-induced mutants of the plasmid pPD6 (8.4 kb) were isolated which are resistant to high doses of tetracycline. One of the plasmids studied--pPD21 is a multicopy mutant, another one, pPD12 is a dimeric form of the pPD6 plasmid. The pPD12 plasmid is very unstable, its derivative, pPD13 spontaneous mutant acquiring stability but not the ability to resolve DNA multimeric forms into monomeric forms. Multicopy bireplicon pPD619 plasmid was constructed by joining in vitro pPD6 and pUC19 plasmids. Removing the replicon pUC19 from the bireplicon plasmid gives a new low-copy plasmid pPD620. All of the plasmids constructed were mobilized by the conjugative pRK2013 plasmid into the strains of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The pPD6 plasmid and its derivatives can be used as cloning vectors.     

Molecular cloning of heterologous chromosomal DNA by recombination between a plasmid vector and a homologous resident plasmid in Bacillus subtilis

Summary The difficulty experienced in the shotgun cloning of chromosomal DNA on plasmid vectors in Bacillus subtilis is analyzed and an explanation for this difficulty is offered based on an inherent property of competent cells which imposes a requirement of plasmid multimers in transformation of plasmidfree recipients (Canosi et al., 1978). A stratagem which uses cloning by recombination between the vector and a resident homologous plasmid is tested and shown to be successful. Several recombinant plasmids are obtained containing Bacillus licheniformis DNA fragments which complement aromatic amino acid mutants of Bacillus subtilis. The yield of recombinant clones ranges from 6.7 to 210 per g of chromosomal DNA, depending on the selection and the restriction endonuclease. The various trp clones obtained after cutting chromosomal DNA with BglII and BclI do not complement trpE and exhibit both orientations with respect to the vector. The location of several restriction endonuclease cleavage sites in the cloned trp fragments is presented, and their relationship to the genetic map of Bacillus licheniformis is described.Abbreviations Km kanamycin - Cm chloramphenicol - Em erythromycin - CCC covalently closed circular - OC open circular - resistant - MDal megadalton In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the doctoral degree in the Department of Microbiology at the New York University School of Medicine, for S.C.     

Construction of a gene bank of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata using a broad host range DNA cloning system

A gene bank of the phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata was constructed using the binary plasmid system pRK290/pRK2013. Fragments of about 20 kb of chromosomal DNA of R. capsulata strain 37b4 were inserted into the cloning vector pRK290. The hybrid plasmids of the gene bank, maintained in Escherichia coli HB101 were transferred by conjugation to R. capsulata strains defective in the photosynthetic apparatus with frequencies of 5×10^-4 to 5×10^-2. Phototrophically growing transconjugants occurred with frequencies of 5×10^-7 to 5×10^-6. Recombination between the hybrid plasmids and the R. capsulata chromosome was shown. The hybrid plasmid pRCF1002, carrying a 25 kb insert of R. capsulata wild type DNA, was isolated from one E. coli clone of the gene bank. It reconstituted some bacteriochlorophyll- and photosynthetic negative mutants to phototrophic growth.Abbreviations Bchl Bacteriochlorophyll - RC reaction center - LH light-harvesting complex - Crt carotenoid - pho phototrophic growth - P Bchl precursor excreted, the number behind P indicates the maximum of absorption in ether (nm) - SDS sodium dodecyl sulfate - Tc tetracycline - Km kanamycin - Gm gentamicin - r resistant - kb kilo base pairs Dedicated to Hans-Günter Schlegel on occasion of his 60th birthday     

Construction of a broad host range cosmid cloning vector and its use in the genetic analysis of Rhizobium mutants

We have constructed a cosmid derivative of the low copy-number broad host-range cloning vector pRK290 (Ditta et al., 1980) by inserting a 1.6-kb Bg/II fragment containing lambda cos into the unique Bg/II site in pRK290. The new vector, pLAFR1, is 21.6 kb long, confers tetracycline resistance, contains a unique EcoRI site, and can be mobilized into and stably replicates within many Gram-negative hosts. We constructed a clone bank of Rhizobium meliloti DNA in pLAFR1 using a partial EcoRI digest. The mean insert size was 23.1 kb. When the clone bank was mated (en masse) from Escherichia coli to various R. meliloti auxotrophic mutants, tetracycline-resistant (Tcr) transconjugants were obtained at frequencies ranging from 0.1 to 0.8, and among these, prototrophic colonies were obtained at frequencies ranging from 0.001 to 0.007. pLAFR1 cosmids were mobilized from R. meliloti prototrophic colonies into E. coli and then reintroduced into R. meliloti auxotrophs. In most cases, 100% of these latter Tcr transconjugants were prototrophic.     

Isolation of the replication DNA region from a Rhizobium plasmid and examination of its potential as a replicon for Rhizobiaceae cloning vectors

The DNA region essential for replication and stability of a native plasmid (pTM5) from Rhizobium sp. (Hedysarum) has been identified and isolated within a 5.4-kb PstI restriction fragment. The isolation of this region was accomplished by cloning endonuclease-restricted pTM5 DNA into a ColE1-type replicon and selecting the recombinant plasmids containing the pTM5 replicator (pTM5 derivative plasmids) by their ability to replicate in Rhizobium. DNA homology studies revealed that pTM5-like replicons are present in cryptic plasmids from some Rhizobium sp. (Hedysarum) strains but not in plasmids from strains of other Rhizobium species or Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The pTM5 derivative plasmids were able to replicate in Escherichia coli and A. tumefaciens and in a wide range of Rhizobium species. On the basis of stability assays in the absence of antibiotic selective pressure, the pTM5 derivative plasmids were shown to be highly stable in both free-living and symbiotic cells of Rhizobium sp. (Hedysarum). The stability of these plasmids in other species of Rhizobium and in A. tumefaciens varied depending on the host and on the plasmid. Most pTM5 derivative plasmids tested showed significantly higher symbiotic stability than RK2 derivative plasmids pRK290 and pAL618 in Rhizobium sp. (Hedysarum), R. meliloti, and R. leguminosarum by. phaseoli. Consequently, we consider that the constructed pTM5 derivative plasmids are potentially useful as cloning vectors for Rhizobiaceae.