Isolation and characterization of megaplasmid DNA from lithoautotrophic bacteria

A method is described for the preparative isolation of megaplasmids ranging in size from 340 to 700 kb. These plasmids were isolated from chemolithoautotrophic bacteria including the species Alcaligenes, Pseudomonas, and Paracoccus. The procedure was based on alkaline sodium dodecyl sulfate lysis of the cells, followed by heat treatment, salt precipitation, several phenol extractions, dialysis steps, and proteinase and RNase treatment. The various parameters were evaluated and controlled. Hydrogen-oxidizing-ability (Hox) encoding plasmids were compared by EcoRI restriction enzyme analysis. pHG plasmids from Alcaligenes eutrophus wild-type strains appeared to be closely related; plasmids derived from the type strain TF93 and from A. hydrogenophilus exhibited major differences in restriction sites. Two cryptic plasmids harbored by Pseudomonas facilis and Paracoccus denitrificans showed scarcely detectable similarity to the plasmid species of Alcaligenes.