Structural plasmid instability in recombination- and repair-deficient strains of Bacillus subtilis

Plasmid pGP1, containing a fusion between the penicillinase gene of Bacillus licheniformis and the beta-galactosidase gene of Escherichia coli, was constructed. This plasmid enabled a study of structural plasmid instability in Bacillus subtilis wild-type cells and a variety of B. subtilis strains, defective in recombination- and DNA-repair functions. Large differences with respect to the level of stability of this plasmid were observed in the various genetic backgrounds.