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Christi K, Hudson J, Egan S. Current approaches to genetic modification of marine bacteria and considerations for improved transformation efficiency. Microbiol Res 2024; 284:127729. [PMID: 38663232 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Marine bacteria play vital roles in symbiosis, biogeochemical cycles and produce novel bioactive compounds and enzymes of interest for the pharmaceutical, biofuel and biotechnology industries. At present, investigations into marine bacterial functions and their products are primarily based on phenotypic observations, -omic type approaches and heterologous gene expression. To advance our understanding of marine bacteria and harness their full potential for industry application, it is critical that we have the appropriate tools and resources to genetically manipulate them in situ. However, current genetic tools that are largely designed for model organisms such as E. coli, produce low transformation efficiencies or have no transfer ability in marine bacteria. To improve genetic manipulation applications for marine bacteria, we need to improve transformation methods such as conjugation and electroporation in addition to identifying more marine broad host range plasmids. In this review, we aim to outline the reported methods of transformation for marine bacteria and discuss the considerations for each approach in the context of improving efficiency. In addition, we further discuss marine plasmids and future research areas including CRISPR tools and their potential applications for marine bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Christi
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer Hudson
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
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2
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Lee J. Lessons from Clostridial Genetics: Toward Engineering Acetogenic Bacteria. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-021-0062-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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3
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Pyne ME, Bruder M, Moo-Young M, Chung DA, Chou CP. Technical guide for genetic advancement of underdeveloped and intractable Clostridium. Biotechnol Adv 2014; 32:623-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2014.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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4
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Strätz M, Sauer U, Kuhn A, Dürre P. Plasmid Transfer into the Homoacetogen Acetobacterium woodii by Electroporation and Conjugation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2010; 60:1033-7. [PMID: 16349209 PMCID: PMC201430 DOI: 10.1128/aem.60.3.1033-1037.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shuttle vectors (pMS3 and pMS4) which replicated in Escherichia coli and in gram-positive Acetobacterium woodii were constructed by ligating the replication origin of plasmid pAMbeta1 with the E. coli cloning vector pUC19 and the tetM gene of streptococcal transposon Tn916. Electrotransformation of A. woodii was achieved at frequencies of 4.5 x 10 transformants per mug of plasmid DNA. For conjugal plasmid transfer, the mobilizable shuttle vector pKV12 was constructed by cloning the tetM gene into pAT187. Mating of E. coli containing pKV12 with A. woodii resulted in transfer frequencies of 3 x 10 to 7 x 10 per donor or recipient.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Strätz
- Institut für Mikrobiologie, Universität Göttingen, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Methodologies to increase the transformation efficiencies and the range of bacteria that can be transformed. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2009; 85:1301-13. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-009-2349-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2009] [Revised: 11/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/07/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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6
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Jirásková A, Vítek L, Fevery J, Ruml T, Branny P. Rapid protocol for electroporation of Clostridium perfringens. J Microbiol Methods 2005; 62:125-7. [PMID: 15823401 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2005.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2005] [Accepted: 01/24/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A rapid and simple method has been developed for the electroporation of Clostridium perfringens with plasmid DNA. The new improvements, harvesting cells early in the logarithmic stage of growth, keeping the cells at room temperature and the absence of post-shock incubation on ice increased transformation efficiency by one order of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alena Jirásková
- Institute of Microbiology AS CR, Vídenská 1083, 14220 Prague 4, Czech Republic
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7
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6 Genetic Methods in Clostridia. METHODS IN MICROBIOLOGY 1999. [DOI: 10.1016/s0580-9517(08)70117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
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8
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Abstract
The genes coding for enzymes involved in butanol or butyrate formation were subcloned into a novel Escherichia coli-Clostridium acetobutylicum shuttle vector constructed from pIMP1 and a chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene. The resulting replicative plasmids, referred to as pTHAAD (aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase) and pTHBUT (butyrate operon), were used to complement C. acetobutylicum mutant strains, in which genes encoding aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase (aad) or butyrate kinase (buk) had been inactivated by recombination with Emr constructs. Complementation of strain PJC4BK (buk mutant) with pTHBUT restored butyrate kinase activity and butyrate production during exponential growth. Complementation of strain PJC4AAD (aad mutant) with pTHAAD restored NAD(H)-dependent butanol dehydrogenase activity, NAD(H)-dependent butyraldehyde dehydrogenase activity and butanol production during solventogenic growth. The development of an alternative selectable marker makes it is possible to overexpress genes, via replicative plasmids, in mutant strains that lack specific enzyme activities, thereby expanding the number of possible genetic manipulations that can be performed in C. acetobutylicum. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- EM Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Rice University, M.S. 140, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, USA
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Clostridium spiroforme Toxin Genes are Related to C. perfringens Iota Toxin Genes but have a Different Genomic Localization. Syst Appl Microbiol 1997. [DOI: 10.1016/s0723-2020(97)80001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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10
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Chen CK, Boucle CM, Blaschek HP. Factors involved in the transformation of previously non-transformable Clostridium perfringens type B. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1996; 140:185-91. [PMID: 8764481 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1996.tb08334.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The pre-shock incubation of cells plus DNA and the methylation state of plasmid DNA were found to play a role in the electroporation-based transformation of Clostridium perfringens 3626B. Following pre-shock incubation, the highest number of C. perfringens 3626B transformants was obtained when plasmid pGK201 was both dam+ dcm+ modified, while no transformants were obtained when pGK201 was not methylated or only dcm methylated. This is consistent with the observation that plasmid pGK201 was protected against digestion by C. perfringens 3626B cell-associated nucleases for up to 3 min when methylated by both methylases. C. perfringens 3626B was successfully transformed only within a narrow cell recovery rate window. The ermAM gene associated with pGK201 and pAK102 was found to integrate into the chromosome of C. perfringens strain 13A and 3626B.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Chen
- University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Urbana 61801, USA
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11
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Kaufmann P, Lehmann Y, Meile L. Conjugative Transposition of Tn916 from Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli into Clostridium perfringens. Syst Appl Microbiol 1996. [DOI: 10.1016/s0723-2020(96)80006-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Cornillot E, Saint-Joanis B, Daube G, Katayama S, Granum PE, Canard B, Cole ST. The enterotoxin gene (cpe) of Clostridium perfringens can be chromosomal or plasmid-borne. Mol Microbiol 1995; 15:639-47. [PMID: 7783636 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1995.tb02373.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The location of the cpe gene, encoding the enterotoxin responsible for food poisoning in humans, has been studied in a series of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens strains by means of pulsed field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA. The cpe gene was found at the same chromosomal locus in strains associated with food poisoning in humans and was shown to be linked to a repetitive sequence, the HindIII repeat, and an open reading frame, ORF3, that may be part of an insertion sequence. In contrast, when the strains originated from domesticated livestock cpe was located on a large episome where it was often close to a copy of the transposable element IS1151. In these cases, the HindIII repeat was not linked to the cpe gene although this was generally preceded by ORF3.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Cornillot
- Unité de Génétique Moléculaire Bactérienne, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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13
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Coleman JP, Hudson LL, Adams MJ. Characterization and regulation of the NADP-linked 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene from Clostridium sordellii. J Bacteriol 1994; 176:4865-74. [PMID: 8050999 PMCID: PMC196321 DOI: 10.1128/jb.176.16.4865-4874.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A bile acid-inducible NADP-linked 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7 alpha-HSDH) from Clostridium sordellii ATCC 9714 was purified 310-fold by ion-exchange, gel filtration, and dye-ligand affinity chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis of the purified enzyme showed one predominant peptide band (30,000 Da). The N-terminal sequence was determined, and the corresponding oligonucleotides were synthesized and used to screen EcoRI and HindIII genomic digests of C. sordellii. Two separate fragments (4,500 bp, EcoRI; 3,200 bp, HindIII) were subsequently cloned by ligation to pUC19 and transformation into Escherichia coli DH5 alpha-MCR. The EcoRI fragment was shown to contain a truncated 7 alpha-HSDH gene, while the HindIII fragment contained the entire coding region. E. coli clones containing the HindIII insert expressed high levels of an NADP-linked 7 alpha-HSDH. Nucleotide sequence analyses suggest that the 7 alpha-HSDH is encoded by a monocistronic transcriptional unit, with DNA sequence elements resembling rho-independent terminators located in both the upstream and downstream flanking regions. The transcriptional start site was located by primer extension analysis. Northern (RNA) blot analysis indicated that induction is mediated at the transcriptional level in response to the presence of bile acid in the growth medium. In addition, growth-phase-dependent expression is observed in uninduced cultures. Analysis of the predicted protein sequence indicates that the enzyme can be classified in the short-chain dehydrogenase group.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Coleman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27858
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Kim AY, Attwood GT, Holt SM, White BA, Blaschek HP. Heterologous expression of endo-beta-1,4-D-glucanase from Clostridium cellulovorans in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 following transformation of the engB gene. Appl Environ Microbiol 1994; 60:337-40. [PMID: 8117087 PMCID: PMC201309 DOI: 10.1128/aem.60.1.337-340.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterologous expression of the Clostridium cellulovorans engB gene by Clostridium acetobutylicum BKW-1 was detected as zones of hydrolysis on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) Trypticase glucose yeast plates stained with Congo red. The extracellular cellulase preparation from C. acetobutylicum BKW-1 has a specific activity towards CMC which is more than fourfold that present in C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824. Western blot (immunoblot) analysis using the C. cellulovorans anti-EngB primary antibody demonstrated that an additional 44-kDa protein band was present in the supernatant derived from C. acetobutylicum BKW-1 but was not present in ATCC 824 or ATCC 824(pMTL500E).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Y Kim
- Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801
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15
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Kim AY, Blaschek HP. Construction and characterization of a phage-plasmid hybrid (phagemid), pCAK1, containing the replicative form of viruslike particle CAK1 isolated from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444. J Bacteriol 1993; 175:3838-43. [PMID: 8509336 PMCID: PMC204800 DOI: 10.1128/jb.175.12.3838-3843.1993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A bacteriophage-plasmid hybrid (phagemid) designated pCAK1 was constructed by ligating 5-kbp Escherichia coli plasmid pAK102 (AprEmr) and the 6.6-kbp HaeIII-linearized replicative form of the CAK1 viruslike particle from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444. Phagemid pCAK1 (11.6 kbp) replicated via the ColE1 replication origin derived from pAK102 in E. coli. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules complexed with protein in a manner which protected ssDNA from nucleases were recovered from the supernatant of E. coli DH11S transformants containing pCAK1 in the absence of cell lysis. This suggests that the viral-strand DNA synthesis replication origin of CAK1 and associated gene expression are functional in E. coli DH11S. The single-stranded form of pCAK1 isolated from E. coli supernatant was transformed into E. coli DH5 alpha' or DH11S by electroporation. Isolation of ampicillin-resistant E. coli transformants following transformation suggests that the complementary-strand DNA synthesis replication origin of CAK1 is also functional in E. coli. The coat proteins associated with ssDNA of pCAK1 demonstrated sensitivity to proteinase K and various solvents (i.e., phenol and chloroform), similar to the results obtained previously with CAK1. Following phagemid construction in E. coli, pCAK1 was transformed into C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 and C. perfringens 13 by intact cell electroporation. Restriction enzyme analysis of pCAK1 isolated from erythromycin-resistant transformants of both C. acetobutylicum and C. perfringens suggested that it was identical to that present in E. coli transformants.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Y Kim
- Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801
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16
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Abstract
To determine whether bacterial luciferase is expressed in the anaerobe Clostridium perfringens to produce an oxygen-requiring bioluminescence reaction, a suitable plasmid vector possessing the luxA and luxB genes of Vibrio fischeri was constructed and introduced into C. perfringens cells. luxAB were placed under the transcriptional control of the C. perfringens alpha-toxin gene promoter region. Suitable ribosome binding sites were introduced upstream of both genes. Bioluminescence was strongly expressed in C. perfringens transformants. Comparisons of in vivo and in vitro bioluminescence measurements demonstrated that in vivo data constituted a quantitative measure of gene expression. This is the first study to show that luxA and luxB genes can be expressed in an anaerobic bacterium and that bioluminescence can be used as a quantitative reporter system in future in vivo studies of gene expression in C. perfringens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Phillips-Jones
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, UK
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Sloan J, Warner TA, Scott PT, Bannam TL, Berryman DI, Rood JI. Construction of a sequenced Clostridium perfringens-Escherichia coli shuttle plasmid. Plasmid 1992; 27:207-19. [PMID: 1513878 DOI: 10.1016/0147-619x(92)90023-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A new Clostridium perfringens-Escherichia coli shuttle plasmid has been constructed and its complete DNA sequence compiled. The vector, pJIR418, contains the replication regions from the C. perfringens replicon pIP404 and the E. coli vector pUC18. The multiple cloning site and lacZ' gene from pUC18 are also present, which means that X-gal screening can be used to select recombinants in E. coli. Both chloramphenicol and erythromycin resistance can be selected in C. perfringens and E. coli since pJIR418 carries the C. perfringens catP and ermBP genes. Insertional inactivation of either the catP or ermBP genes can also be used to directly screen recombinants in both organisms. The versatility of pJIR418 and its applicability for the cloning of toxin genes from C. perfringens have been demonstrated by the manipulation of a cloned gene encoding the production of phospholipase C.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Sloan
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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19
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Abstract
Clostridium perfringens is the causative agent of a number of human diseases, such as gas gangrene and food poisoning, and many diseases of animals. Recently significant advances have been made in the development of C. perfringens genetics. Studies on bacteriocin plasmids and conjugative R plasmids have led to the cloning and analysis of many C. perfringens genes and the construction of shuttle plasmids. The relationship of antibiotic resistance genes to similar genes from other bacteria has been elucidated. A detailed physical map of the C. perfringens chromosome has been prepared, and numerous genes have been located on that map. Reproducible transformation methods for the introduction of plasmids into C. perfringens have been developed, and several genes coding for the production of extracellular toxins and enzymes have been cloned. Now that it is possible to freely move genetic information back and forth between C. perfringens and Escherichia coli, it will be possible to apply modern molecular methods to studies on the pathogenesis of C. perfringens infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- J I Rood
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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20
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Lal R, Lal S, Grund E, Eichenlaub R. Construction of a hybrid plasmid capable of replication in Amycolatopsis mediterranei. Appl Environ Microbiol 1991; 57:665-71. [PMID: 2039229 PMCID: PMC182777 DOI: 10.1128/aem.57.3.665-671.1991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A new plasmid, pA387, has been isolated from "Amycolatopsis sp." (DSM 43387). This plasmid could be isolated from liquid culture as well as mycelium from agar plates by a modified procedure. Plasmid pA387 is about 29.6 kb and can be cured at low frequency by protoplasting and ethidium bromide and heat treatment. Hybridization experiments showed that this plasmid is present in free form and does not integrate into the chromosome. A hybrid plasmid was constructed by cloning a 5.1-kb fragment of pA387 into the Escherichia coli vector pDM10. This hybrid plasmid, termed pRL1, could be transformed into Amycolatopsis mediterranei and A. orientalis by electroporation. A transformation frequency of 2.2 x 10(3) transformants per micrograms of DNA at 12.5 kV/cm and a pulse duration of 10.8 ms was obtained in A. mediterranei, whereas 1.1 x 10(5) transformants per microgram of DNA were obtained at a field strength of 7.5 kV/cm and a pulse duration of 7.6 ms in A. orientalis. Plasmid pRL1 is the first hybrid plasmid which could be used successfully for the transformation of A. mediterranei. The plasmid has a rather high copy number, is genetically stable, and can be easily reisolated from A. mediterranei. Plasmid pRL1 will be useful for further construction of a shuttle vector for E. coli and A. mediterranei and becomes the basis for the development of gene cloning techniques in Amycolatopsis spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lal
- Lehrstuhl für Gentechnologie/Mikrobiologie, Fakultät für Biologie, Universität Bielefeld, Federal Republic of Germany
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21
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Isolation and characterization of a filamentous viruslike particle from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444. J Bacteriol 1991; 173:530-5. [PMID: 1987147 PMCID: PMC207042 DOI: 10.1128/jb.173.2.530-535.1991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A single-stranded 6.6-kb DNA molecule complexed with protein was recovered from the supernatant of Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444. Electron microscopic examination of the DNA-protein complex revealed the presence of a filamentous viruslike particle, which was designated CAK1. The possible double-stranded plasmidlike replicative form and the single-stranded prophage were also recovered from the cell culture following alkaline lysis. CAK1 was released from the C. acetobutylicum cell culture in the absence of cell lysis. Polyethylene glycol-NaCl coprecipitation of the DNA-protein complex revealed the presence of single-stranded DNA complexed with protein in a manner rendering the DNA resistant to Bal 31 exonuclease. Proteinase treatment of CsCl density gradient-purified CAK1 resulted in recovery of DNase-sensitive single-stranded DNA. Tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of CAK1 demonstrated the presence of a 5-kDa major coat protein. Hybridization data indicated that the single-stranded DNA from CAK1 has homology with the M13 phage of Escherichia coli. An examination of various physical properties of CAK1 suggests that it is similar to the filamentous phage recovered from gram-negative microorganisms. Although infectivity or inducibility of CAK1 could not be demonstrated, to our knowledge this represents the first report of a nonlytic filamentous viruslike particle containing single-stranded DNA being recovered from a gram-positive bacterium.
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Allen SP, Blaschek HP. Plasmid copy number and stability determination inClostridium perfringenstransformants. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1990. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb03910.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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23
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Allen SP, Blaschek HP. Factors involved in the electroporation-induced transformation of Clostridium perfringens. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1990; 58:217-20. [PMID: 2227358 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb13981.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The following factors were found to improve the efficiency of transformation of Clostridium perfringens 3624A Rifr Strr: (1) a reduction in cuvette sample volume (DNA and cell suspension) to 0.8 ml, (2) use of a 1 microgram/ml concentration of transforming DNA, (3) use of late-logarithmic phase cells, (4) 3-fold concentration of cell density (3.0 x 10(8) CFU/ml), and (5) a reduction in the pH of the expression and selective plating medium to 6.4. Application of the improved conditions resulted in transformation efficiencies for C. perfringens 3624A Rifr Strr ranging from 7.1 transformants/microgram DNA for plasmic pIP401 to 9.2 x 10(4) transformants per microgram DNA for plasmid pAK201. The greatest transformation efficiency obtained using pAK201 was 9.8 x 10(6) transformants/micrograms DNA for C. perfringens strain 13. Using the improved protocol, pAM beta 1 was transformed at a 42-fold greater level when compared with the values reported earlier [1]. In addition to C. perfringens 3624A Rifr Strr, strains 13, 10543A, 3628C, NTG-4, and 3624A were successfully transformed. Nuclease does not appear to be a factor in the C. perfringens strain-specific electro-transformation protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- S P Allen
- Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana
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24
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Kim AY, Vertes AA, Blaschek HP. Isolation of a single-stranded plasmid from Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444. Appl Environ Microbiol 1990; 56:1725-8. [PMID: 2383010 PMCID: PMC184500 DOI: 10.1128/aem.56.6.1725-1728.1990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The cryptic plasmid pDM6 was isolated from late exponential-phase cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum NCIB 6444 by either alkaline lysis or electroporation. The application of high voltage during electroporation resulted in higher DNA yield than did the alkaline lysis procedure. However, electroporation-induced plasmid release generated high amounts of single-stranded DNA compared with the alkaline lysis procedure, which generated both double-stranded DNA (monomer and dimer forms) and single-stranded DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Y Kim
- Department of Food Science, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801
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25
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Phillips-Jones MK. Plasmid transformation ofClostridium perfringensby electroporation methods. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1990. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1990.tb04000.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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26
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Abstract
Several laboratories around the world have started work on genetic analysis of clostridia. Interest in this diverse group of anaerobic organisms has grown with increasing awareness of the benefits that may accrue from their biotechnological exploitation. Research to date has focussed on construction of shuttle vectors containing replicons from clostridial and streptococcal plasmids, development of methods for transferring genes, and molecular cloning of genes--especially those involved in toxigenicity, fermentative metabolism and polysaccharide utilization. In selected species gene transfer by protoplast transformation, electroporation and conjugation has been accomplished and transposable elements have been introduced. It can be anticipated that our understanding of the molecular biology of these interesting organisms will grow rapidly in the future, bringing with it improved prospects for rational biotechnological exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, U.K
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