Thermosensitive H1 plasmids determining citrate utilization

Twelve thermosensitive H1 plasmids from strains of Salmonella typhi that had caused outbreaks of chloramphenicol-resistant typhoid fever in Vietnam, Thailand and India mediated citrate utilization (Cit+) in a prototrophic Escherichia coli K12 strain but not in the S. typhi strains from which they were derived. Four H1 plasmids from a similar outbreak in Mexico differed from the Far Eastern plasmids in not mediating citrate utlization but in mediating mercury resistance. H1 plasmids resembling the Far Eastern and the Mexican plasmids in regard to citrate utilization and mercury resistance were found in sewage in Britain. Citrate utilization was transferred to eight pathogenic strains of E. coli and to one strain each of Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei. Cultures of Cit+ bacteria grew more rapidly in citrate media at 28 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. Plasmid mutants that were more efficient at utilizing citrate were present in all such cultures--they grew equally well or better at 37 degrees C than at 28 degrees C. None of 222 strains of E. coli or Shigella that contained a variety of different plasmids were able to utilize citrate. This property was not transferred to the prototrophic E. coli K12 strain from Citrobacter (3 strains), Salmonella (39 strains), Proteus (44 strains), Klebsiella pneumoniae (33 strains) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (44 strains).