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. 1982 Oct;152(1):338–344. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.1.338-344.1982

Antagonism of the B subunit of DNA gyrase eliminates plasmids pBR322 and pMG110 from Escherichia coli.

J S Wolfson, D C Hooper, M N Swartz, G L McHugh
PMCID: PMC221411  PMID: 6288663

Abstract

The constructed plasmid pBR322 and the native plasmid pMG110 were eliminated (cured) from growing Escherichia coli cells by the antagonism of the B subunit of the bacterial enzyme DNA gyrase. The antagonism may be by the growth of cells (i) at semipermissive temperatures in a bacterial mutant containing a thermolabile gyrase B subunit or (ii) at semipermissive concentrations of coumermycin A1, an antibiotic that specifically inhibits the B subunit of DNA gyrase. The kinetics of plasmid elimination indicate that plasmid loss occurs too rapidly to be explained solely by the faster growth of that plasmid-free bacteria and, therefore, represents interference with plasmid maintenance.

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Selected References

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