Survival of Plasmid-Containing Bacillus subtilis Released into Mushroom Compost |
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Authors: | IR McDonald PW Riley RJ Sharp AJ McCarthy |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Liverpool, Post Office Box 147, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK, GB;(2) Centre for Applied Microbiological Research, Porton Down, Salisbury, SP1 0JG, UK, GB |
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Abstract: | Abstract
The survival of a plasmid-containing Bacillus subtilis released into mushroom compost was investigated. The indigenous Bacillus population of mushroom compost exhibited an antibiotic-resistance profile that was distinguished by almost complete absence
of chloramphenicol resistance. Bacillus subtilis containing the chloramphenicol-resistance plasmid pC194 was released into mushroom compost microcosms and populations were
monitored at different incubation temperatures. The organism colonized both sterile and untreated compost at 37°C, and to
a lesser extent at 50°C, but was eliminated after 30 d at 65°C. Although sporulation of the B. subtilis population occurred within compost, the population was maintained for up to 13 weeks at 50°C, largely as vegetative cells.
Experiments in which the B. subtilis host strain, without plasmid, was released demonstrated that plasmid carriage had no effect on the ability of the bacterium
to colonize and survive in compost. Furthermore, the size and composition of the indigenous bacterial population was unaffected
by the presence of the introduced B. subtilis strain. Virtually no loss of plasmid pC194 from the B. subtilis population in compost was observed, and experiments at low growth rates in chemostats confirmed the stability of this host/vector
system in the absence of positive selection pressure.
Received: 9 July 1997; Accepted: 20 October 1997 |
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