Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1984 Mar;157(3):833–838. doi: 10.1128/jb.157.3.833-838.1984

Conjugal transfer and characterization of bacteriocin plasmids in group N (lactic acid) streptococci.

H Neve, A Geis, M Teuber
PMCID: PMC215335  PMID: 6321437

Abstract

Thirteen bacteriocin-producing strains of group N (lactic acid) streptococci were screened for their potential to transfer this property by conjugation to Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis Bu2-60. Bacteriocin production in three strains was plasmid encoded as shown by conjugal transfer and by analysis of cured, bacteriocin-negative derivatives of the donor strains and the transconjugants. With Streptococcus cremoris strains 9B4 and 4G6 and S. lactis subsp. diacetylactis 6F7 as donors, bacteriocin-producing transconjugants were isolated with frequencies ranging from ca. 2 X 10(-2) to 2 X 10(-1) per recipient cell. Bacteriocin-producing transconjugants had acquired a 39.6-megadalton plasmid from the donor strains 9B4 and 4G6, and a 75-megadalton plasmid from the donor strain 6F7. As shown by restriction endonuclease analysis, the plasmids from strains 9B4 and 4G6 were almost identical. The plasmid from strain 6F7 yielded some additional fragments not present in the two other plasmids. In hybridization experiments any of the three plasmids strongly hybridized with each other and with some other bacteriocin but nontransmissible plasmids from other S. cremoris strains. Homology was also detected to a variety of cryptic plasmids in lactic acid streptococci.

Full text

PDF
833

Images in this article

835Image
on p.835
836Image
on p.836
837Image
on p.837

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Gasson M. J., Davies F. L. High-frequency conjugation associated with Streptococcus lactis donor cell aggregation. J Bacteriol. 1980 Sep;143(3):1260–1264. doi: 10.1128/jb.143.3.1260-1264.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Geis A., Singh J., Teuber M. Potential of lactic streptococci to produce bacteriocin. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Jan;45(1):205–211. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.1.205-211.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hardy K. G. Colicinogeny and related phenomena. Bacteriol Rev. 1975 Dec;39(4):464–515. doi: 10.1128/br.39.4.464-515.1975. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Klaenhammer T. R., McKay L. L., Baldwin K. A. Improved lysis of group N streptococci for isolation and rapid characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1978 Mar;35(3):592–600. doi: 10.1128/aem.35.3.592-600.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kozak W., Bardowski J., Dobrzański W. T. Lactostrepcins--acid bacteriocins produced by lactic streptococci. J Dairy Res. 1978 Jun;45(2):247–257. doi: 10.1017/s0022029900016423. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Leblanc D. J., Lee L. N. Rapid screening procedure for detection of plasmids in streptococci. J Bacteriol. 1979 Dec;140(3):1112–1115. doi: 10.1128/jb.140.3.1112-1115.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. McKay L. L., Baldwin K. A., Walsh P. M. Conjugal transfer of genetic information in group N streptococci. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1980 Jul;40(1):84–89. doi: 10.1128/aem.40.1.84-91.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. McKay L. L. Functional properties of plasmids in lactic streptococci. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek. 1983 Sep;49(3):259–274. doi: 10.1007/BF00399502. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Perkins J. B., Youngman P. Streptococcus plasmid pAM alpha 1 is a composite of two separable replicons, one of which is closely related to Bacillus plasmid pBC16. J Bacteriol. 1983 Aug;155(2):607–615. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.2.607-615.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Scherwitz K. M., Baldwin K. A., McKay L. L. Plasmid linkage of a bacteriocin-like substance in Streptococcus lactis subsp. diacetylactis strain WM4: transferability to Streptococcus lactis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 May;45(5):1506–1512. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.5.1506-1512.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Snook R. J., McKay L. L. Conjugal Transfer of Lactose-Fermenting Ability Among Streptococcus cremoris and Streptococcus lactis Strains. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Nov;42(5):904–911. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.5.904-911.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Southern E. M. Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol. 1975 Nov 5;98(3):503–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(75)80083-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Tagg J. R., Dajani A. S., Wannamaker L. W. Bacteriocins of gram-positive bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1976 Sep;40(3):722–756. doi: 10.1128/br.40.3.722-756.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wahl G. M., Stern M., Stark G. R. Efficient transfer of large DNA fragments from agarose gels to diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper and rapid hybridization by using dextran sulfate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Aug;76(8):3683–3687. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.8.3683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Walsh P. M., McKay L. L. Recombinant plasmid associated cell aggregation and high-frequency conjugation of Streptococcus lactis ML3. J Bacteriol. 1981 Jun;146(3):937–944. doi: 10.1128/jb.146.3.937-944.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES