Genetic and physical characterization of IncM plasmid pBWH1 and its variance among natural isolates

We present a genetic and physical characterization of the IncM plasmid pBWH1. A physical map was constructed for the enzymes EcoRI, BamHI, SalI, BglII, HindIII, MstII, and XhoI. A series of deletions and a series of subclones of pBWH1 were constructed and used to determine the locations on this map of the transfer region; the replication region; and the genes determining resistance to beta-lactams, chloramphenicol, the sulfonamides, and gentamicin. We compared 51 different isolates, including isolates which had lost individual antibiotic resistances or the transfer phenotype, and showed that variations occurred in all regions of the plasmid genome. Frequently, correlations could be made between phenotypic variation and variation of the EcoRI fragments which contained the gene determining that phenotype.