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Plasmid maintenance in Bacillus subtilis recombination-deficient mutants
Molecular & General Genetics : MGG
|June 1, 1987
Summary
Recombination-deficient Bacillus subtilis strains show that plasmid pUB110 is stable, but pC194 is not. Plasmid instability in these Rec- mutants is linked to growth impairment and high levels of multimeric DNA.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Recombination is crucial for DNA stability in bacteria.
- Understanding plasmid maintenance in recombination-deficient mutants is important for genetic engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the stability of different plasmids in recombination-deficient Bacillus subtilis strains.
- To identify factors contributing to plasmid instability in these mutants.
Main Methods:
- Construction of 11 isogenic recombination-deficient (Rec-) Bacillus subtilis mutant strains.
- Transformation with plasmids pUB110 and pC194.
- Assessment of plasmid stability and cell growth.
Main Results:
- Plasmid pUB110 was stably maintained in Rec- strains.
- High copy number plasmid pC194 exhibited instability in Rec- strains.
- pC194 instability correlated with reduced cell growth and increased multimeric DNA formation.
Conclusions:
- Plasmid stability in Rec- Bacillus subtilis is plasmid-dependent.
- Cellular growth impairment significantly contributes to pC194 instability.
- Multimeric DNA formation may also play a role in pC194 instability.