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. 1977 May;130(2):852–859. doi: 10.1128/jb.130.2.852-859.1977

Synthesis of R-plasmid-coded beta-lactamase in minicells and in an in vitro system.

J N Grindley, R Blumberg, D Nakada
PMCID: PMC235291  PMID: 318118

Abstract

beta-Lactamase encoded by a small, nontransferring R-plasmid, NTP1, conferring ampicillin resistance to its host bacteria, was purified. NTP1 plasmid-coded beta-lactamase was found to be periplasmically located in the host Escherichia coli cell, to have a molecular weight of about 25,000, and to show a relatively low activity against oxacillin and methicillin compared with benzylpenicillin. These characteristics indicate that NTP1 plasmid-coded beta-lactamase is very similar or identical to the "TEM-type" beta-lactamase, which is the most common beta-lactamase coded by R-plasmids in enteric bacteria. In minicells containing NTP1 plasmids, at least six plasmid-specific proteins were synthesized, and beta-lactamase was synthesized in a greater amount than other plasmid-coded proteins. In a cell-free transcription-translation coupled system from E. coli, NTP1 plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid directed the synthesis of several species of plasmid-specific proteins, including active beta-lactamase. The in vitro system also showed preferential synthesis of beta-lactamase, as was observed in minicells containing NTP1 plasmids.

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Selected References

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

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