A natural mutant of plasmid RP4 that confers phage resistance and reduced conjugative transfer

A natural isolate of RP4 (PRC#116) acquired from the Stanford University Plasmid Reference Center differed from the wild-type Incompatibility Group P plasmid in several respects. Cells of Escherichia coli harboring PRC#116 were resistant to the IncP pili-specific bacteriophage PRD1 and GU5, and transferred this plasmid at a lower efficiency than the wild-type RP4. Phage sensitivity was restored, and transfer considerably improved in PRC#116+ bacteria transformed with plasmid constructs containing the origin of transfer (oriT region) of RP4. Mutant RP4 plasmids equivalent to PRC#116 were selected at a high frequency from an RP4+ E. coli population infected with PRD1 indicating that this RP4 variant may be the product of a very common mutation of the wild-type plasmid.