Isolation of circular deoxyribonucleic acid from Salmonella typhosa hybrids obtained from matings with Escherichia coli Hfr donors

Conservation of Salmonella typhimurium deoxyribonucleic acid by chromosomal insertion in a partially diploid Escherichia coli hybrid

A partially diploid Escherichia coli hybrid recovered from mating with a Salmonella typhimurium donor was converted to an Hfr strain, designated WR2080, as a means to examine the manner in which the added Salmonella genetic material was conserved in it. The Salmonella argH-+, metB-+, and RHA-+ alleles contained as supernumerary genes in WR2080 were transferred together to E. coli recipients in interrupted mating experiments approximately 25 min after initial parental contact; transfer of the allelic E. coli genes by a haploid Hfr of the same transfer orientation occurred between 23.5 min (argH-+) and 25 min (rha-+) after initial contact. Entry of the E. coli ilv-+ marker of WR2080 in these experiments occurred at 29.5 min, 1.5 min later than the entry time of this marker from the haploid E. coli Hfr. When unselected inheritance of the recessive E. coli argH-minus and rha-minus alleles of WR2080 was examined among ilv-+ selected E. coli recipients in which unselected inheritance of the Salmonella donor genes was shown to be low (8%), inheritance of argH-minus was only 7%, whereas 51% inherited the neighboring rha-minus gene. In a comparative cross employing a haploid E. coli Hfr, in which rha inheritance was similar at 56%, argH inheritance was 41%. It was concluded that the Salmonella genes contained in WR2080 were conserved on a genetic segment about 1.5 min in length chromosomally inserted near the allelic E. coli genes, thus creating a duplication on that region within the hybrid chromosome.

Characterization of transmissible genetic elements from sucrose-fermenting Salmonella strains

Two of seven sucrose-fermenting Salmonella strains obtained from clinical sources were found capable of conjugal transfer of the sucrose fermentation (Scr+) property to the Escherichia coli K-12 strain WR3026. The genetic elements conferring this Scr+ property, designated scr-53 and scr-94, were then conjugally transmissible from Escherichia coli WR3026 Scr+ exconjugants to other strains of Escherichia coli at frequences of 5 times 10- minus 6 to 5 times 10- minus 3 for the scr-53 element and 10- minus 6 to 10- minus 5 for the scr-94 element. In Escherichia coli hosts, both of these elements were compatible with F-lac and with each of six previously characterized transmissible lac elements. No antibiotic resistance characteristics or colicin production were discovered to be associated with either scr-53 or scr-94. Neither scr element generated a male host response to the female-specific phage phiII, but the scr-53 element rendered its Escherichia coli host sensitive to the male-specific phage R-17. Escherichia coli hosts containing scr-53 were susceptible to lysis by P1vir, and transduction of the scr-53 element was accomplished with this phage. The scr-53 element was isolated from Escherichia coli WR3026, Scr+ transductants, and Escherichia coli WR2036 Scr+ exconjugants as a covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid molecule with a molecular weight (determined by electron microscopy) of approximately 52 times 10-6. Receipt of the scr-94 element rendered Escherichia coli hosts of this element unsusceptible to lysis by P1vir, although adsorption of the phage by an Escherichia coli WR3026 exconjugant containing scr-94 occurred as efficiently as it did on WR3026 itself. Repeated examination of Escherichia coli strains harboring scr-94, as well as of the Salmonella strain which initially contained it, did not reveal the presence of circular deoxyribonucleic acid. The synthesis of the sucrose cleaving enzyme was inducible in Escherichia coli exconjugants containing either scr-53 or scr-94.

Conservation of Salmonella typhimurium deoxyribonucleic acid in partially diploid hybrids of Escherichia coli

Partially diploid Escherichia coli K-12 hybrids recovered from mating with a Salmonella typhimurium Hfr strain were found to differ with respect to the manner in which they conserved the added Salmonella deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Five of the diploid hybrids examined appeared to maintain the Salmonella DNA as part of a functional F-merogenote; these hybrids were sensitive to the male-specific phage, R-17, responded as males to the female-specific phage, phiII, and transferred their inherited Salmonella genetic markers at high frequency in conjugation experiments. Six diploid hybrids were observed which were not sensitive to R-17, and from which the added Salmonella DNA was not transmissible in conjugation tests; nevertheless, these hybrids responded as males to phiII, and the Salmonella chromosomal fragments were conserved in them as parts of supercoiled, circular DNA elements. It was concluded that these circular DNA elements were defective F-merogenotes, unable to direct the synthesis of F-pili. Three diploid hybrids were found which were not sensitive to R-17, and which responded as females to phiII; no circular DNA was found in them, and it was concluded that their conservation of the Salmonella genetic fragments was accomplished in some manner which did not involve association with F or assumption of the supercoiled circular configuration. Other partially diploid hybrids were observed which appeared similar to these latter three hybrids with regard to their conservation of the Salmonella DNA, but which also contained an infecting F-factor; in these hybrids, both genetic and molecular experiments indicated that the unstably conserved Salmonella DNA was not associated physically with the F-factor.

Characterization of the polydisperse closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid molecules of Bacillus megaterium

The polydisperse circular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules which comprise up to 30% of the total extractable DNA of Bacillus megaterium strain 216 have been purified and partially characterized. Banding in cesium chlorideethidium bromide by "gradient relaxation" in a fixed-angle rotor provided good resolution of circular and chromosomal DNAs for preparative separations. Renaturation studies on purified circular DNA failed to reveal a rapidly renaturing fraction, and DNA-DNA hybridization studies indicated that the majority of the chromosomal nucleotide sequences are represented in the heterogeneous-size population of circular molecules. It is concluded that the circular DNA of B. megaterium does not represent typical bacterial plasmid DNA. The possibility that the circular DNA molecules are the result of the expression of a defective bacteriophage is discussed.

Extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid in different enterobacteria

Eighty-seven different enterobacteria and pseudomonas strains were examined for the presence of extrachromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Thirty-four strains contained closed circular DNA by the ethidium bromide CsCl density technique. Extrachromosomal DNA was most frequent in Escherichia and Klebsiella strains. The extrachromosomal DNA was isolated and characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation and electron microscopy. All the extrachromosomal DNA-containing bacteria contained circular DNA molecules of small size (0.5-4 mum). Most of these bacteria also contained larger circles (20-40 mum). The number of different size classes of circular DNA in each strain varied from one to five. The buoyant density of the extrachromosomal DNA ranged from 1.692 to 1.721 g/cm(3). Many bacteria contained extrachromosomal DNA of more than one density.

Isolation and characterization of the fertility factor P of Vibrio cholerae

Vibrio cholerae strains with the transmissible fertility factor P contained a supercoiled circular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) component amounting to between 2 and 6% of the total DNA obtained from the cells. Such a component was not observed in V. cholerae strains lacking the fertility factor. This supercoiled circular DNA was isolated from P(+) cells, and the molecular weight was determined by sedimentation velocity experiments and electron microscopy to be approximately 80 million daltons. These supercoiled circular DNA molecules, which have a guanine plus cytosine (G + C) composition of 42%, were concluded to be the extrachromosomal P factor. It was calculated that there is approximately one copy of the P factor per chromosome. A small amount of supercoiled circular DNA was occasionally isolated from the P(-) strains of V. cholerae. The function of this component, which has a molecular weight of 40 million daltons, is not known. The molecules found in the P(-) strains were readily distinguished from the P(+) circular molecules by their smaller molecular weight and different G + C composition.