Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1976 Jun;126(3):1194–1206. doi: 10.1128/jb.126.3.1194-1206.1976

Isolation and characterization of conjugation-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli K-12.

J O Falkinham 3rd, R Curtiss 3rd
PMCID: PMC233144  PMID: 780343

Abstract

Conjugation-deficient mutants (Con-) of Escherichia coli K-12 have been isolated by a variety of indirect selective techniques. Mutants with mutations conferring ampicillin resistance, fosfomycin resistance, an alanine requirement, and a failure of ferment a number of carbohydrates were selected because the impaired functions occur in association with cell wall and cell membrane defects. The integrity of these catalytic or structural elements is postulated to have a role in conjugation. The mutants could be divided into at least six general categories corresponding to their defectiveness in the following postulated recipient cell functions: (i) specific-union formation, (ii) effective-union formation, (iii) deoxyribonucleic acid transfer, (iv) plasmid establishment, (v) plasmid maintenance, and (vi) recombination. The availability of these mutants should contribute to the description of the molecular events involved in each of these conjugation steps and the elucidation of these genetic control over the inheritance of conjugationally transferred deoxyribonucleic acid.

Full text

PDF
1194

Selected References

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

  1. Achtman M., Willetts N., Clark A. J. Beginning a genetic analysis of conjugational transfer determined by the F factor in Escherichia coli by isolation and characterization of transfer-deficient mutants. J Bacteriol. 1971 May;106(2):529–538. doi: 10.1128/jb.106.2.529-538.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Achtman M., Willetts N., Clark A. J. Conjugational complementation analysis of transfer-deficient mutants of Flac in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1972 Jun;110(3):831–842. doi: 10.1128/jb.110.3.831-842.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Armstrong J. B., Adler J., Dahl M. M. Nonchemotactic mutants of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1967 Jan;93(1):390–398. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.1.390-398.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Berg C. M., Curtiss R., 3rd Transposition derivatives of an Hfr strain of Escherichia coli K-12. Genetics. 1967 Jul;56(3):503–525. doi: 10.1093/genetics/56.3.503. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Boos W. Bacterial transport. Annu Rev Biochem. 1974;43(0):123–146. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.43.070174.001011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bradley D. E. Shortening of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pili after RNA-phage adsorption. J Gen Microbiol. 1972 Sep;72(2):303–319. doi: 10.1099/00221287-72-2-303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Bradley D. E. The adsorption of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pilus-dependent bacteriophages to a host mutant with nonretractile pili. Virology. 1974 Mar;58(1):149–163. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(74)90150-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Brinton C. C., Jr The properties of sex pili, the viral nature of "conjugal" genetic transfer systems, and some possible approaches to the control of bacterial drug resistance. CRC Crit Rev Microbiol. 1971 May;1(1):105–160. doi: 10.3109/10408417109104479. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. CLARK A. J., MARGULIES A. D. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RECOMBINATION-DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI K12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Feb;53:451–459. doi: 10.1073/pnas.53.2.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. CURTIS S. R., 3rd CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MUTATIONS TO BACTERIOPHAGE RESISTANCE IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1965 Jan;89:28–40. doi: 10.1128/jb.89.1.28-40.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Clark A. J. Recombination deficient mutants of E. coli and other bacteria. Annu Rev Genet. 1973;7:67–86. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.07.120173.000435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Clark A. J. Toward a metabolic interpretation of genetic recombination of E. coli and its phages. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1971;25:437–464. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.25.100171.002253. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Cohen A., Fisher W. D., Curtiss R., 3rd, Adler H. I. The properties of DNA transferred to minicells during conjugation. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1968;33:635–641. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1968.033.01.071. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Curtiss R., 3rd Bacterial conjugation. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1969;23:69–136. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.23.100169.000441. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Curtiss R., 3rd, Charamella L. J., Berg C. M., Harris P. E. Kinetic and genetic analyses of D-cycloserine inhibition and resistance in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1965 Nov;90(5):1238–1250. doi: 10.1128/jb.90.5.1238-1250.1965. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Curtiss R., 3rd, Charamella L. J., Stallions D. R., Mays J. A. Parental functions during conjugation in Escherichia coli K-12. Bacteriol Rev. 1968 Dec;32(4 Pt 1):320–348. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Curtiss R., 3rd, Stallions D. R. Energy requirements for specific pair formation during conjugation in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1967 Aug;94(2):490–492. doi: 10.1128/jb.94.2.490-492.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Falkinham J. O., 3rd, Clark A. J. Genetic analysis of a double male strain of Escherichia coli K12. Genetics. 1974 Oct;78(2):633–644. doi: 10.1093/genetics/78.2.633. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Falkow S., Tompkins L. S., Silver R. P., Guerry P., Le Blanc D. J. The problems of drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. The replication of R-factor DNA in Escherichia coli K-12 following conjugation. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1971 Jun 11;182:153–171. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1971.tb30654.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Fenwick R. G., Jr, Curtiss R., 3rd Conjugal deoxyribonucleic acid replication by Escherichia coli K-12: stimulation in dnaB(ts) donors by minicells. J Bacteriol. 1973 Dec;116(3):1212–1223. doi: 10.1128/jb.116.3.1212-1223.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Guerola N., Ingraham J. L., Cerdá-Olmedo E. Induction of closely linked multiple mutations by nitrosoguanidine. Nat New Biol. 1971 Mar 24;230(12):122–125. doi: 10.1038/newbio230122a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Holland I. B., Threlfall E. J., Holland E. M., Darby V., Samson A. C. Mutants of Escherichia coli with altered surface properties which are refractory to colicin E2, sensitive to ultraviolet light and which can also show recombination deficiency, abortive growth of bacteriophage lambda and filament formation. J Gen Microbiol. 1970 Aug;62(3):371–382. doi: 10.1099/00221287-62-3-371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Howard-Flanders P., Theriot L. Mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in DNA repair and in genetic recombination. Genetics. 1966 Jun;53(6):1137–1150. doi: 10.1093/genetics/53.6.1137. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Jacobson A. Role of F pili in the penetration of bacteriophage fl. J Virol. 1972 Oct;10(4):835–843. doi: 10.1128/jvi.10.4.835-843.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. KUNDIG W., GHOSH S., ROSEMAN S. PHOSPHATE BOUND TO HISTIDINE IN A PROTEIN AS AN INTERMEDIATE IN A NOVEL PHOSPHO-TRANSFERASE SYSTEM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1964 Oct;52:1067–1074. doi: 10.1073/pnas.52.4.1067. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Lin E. C. The genetics of bacterial transport systems. Annu Rev Genet. 1970;4:225–262. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ge.04.120170.001301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Monner D. A., Jonsson S., Boman H. G. Ampicillin-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 with lipopolysaccharide alterations affecting mating ability and susceptibility to sex-specific bacteriophages. J Bacteriol. 1971 Aug;107(2):420–432. doi: 10.1128/jb.107.2.420-432.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Novotny C. P., Fives-Taylor P. Retraction of F pili. J Bacteriol. 1974 Mar;117(3):1306–1311. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.3.1306-1311.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Otsubo E., Nishimura Y., Hirota Y. Transfer-defective mutants of sex factors in Escherichia coli. I. Defective mutants and complementation analysis. Genetics. 1970 Feb;64(2):173–188. doi: 10.1093/genetics/64.2.173. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Ou J. T., Anderson T. F. Role of pili in bacterial conjugation. J Bacteriol. 1970 Jun;102(3):648–654. doi: 10.1128/jb.102.3.648-654.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Ou J. T. Inhibition of formation of Escherichia coli mating pairs by f1 and MS2 bacteriophages as determined with a Coulter counter. J Bacteriol. 1973 Jun;114(3):1108–1115. doi: 10.1128/jb.114.3.1108-1115.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Paul A. V., Riley M. Joint molecule formation following conjugation in wild type and mutant Escherichia coli recipients. J Mol Biol. 1974 Jan 5;82(1):35–56. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(74)90573-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Reiner A. M. Escherichia coli females defective in conjugation and in adsorption of a single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid phage. J Bacteriol. 1974 Jul;119(1):183–191. doi: 10.1128/jb.119.1.183-191.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Shull F. W., Jr, Fralick J. A., Stratton L. P., Fisher W. D. Membrane association of conjugally transferred deoxyribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli minicells. J Bacteriol. 1971 May;106(2):626–633. doi: 10.1128/jb.106.2.626-633.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Skurray R. A., Hancock R. E., Reeves P. Con--mutants: class of mutants in Escherichia coli K-12 lacking a major cell wall protein and defective in conjugation and adsorption of a bacteriophage. J Bacteriol. 1974 Sep;119(3):726–735. doi: 10.1128/jb.119.3.726-735.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Spizizen J., Reilly B. E., Evans A. H. Microbial transformation and transfection. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1966;20:371–400. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.20.100166.002103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Stallions D. R., Curtiss R., 3rd Chromosome transfer and recombinant formation with deoxyribonucleic acid temperature-sensitive strains of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1971 Mar;105(3):886–895. doi: 10.1128/jb.105.3.886-895.1971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Venkateswaran P. S., Wu H. C. Isolation and characterization of a phosphonomycin-resistant mutant of Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1972 Jun;110(3):935–944. doi: 10.1128/jb.110.3.935-944.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Watanabe T., Arai T., Hattori T. Effects of cell wall polysaccharide on the mating ability of Salmonella typhimurium. Nature. 1970 Jan 3;225(5227):70–71. doi: 10.1038/225070a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES