FIG. 5.

Function of the TA system on pSF118-20. (A) Contribution of the TA system to pLS203 maintenance in L. salivarius LS201, L. plantarum NCIMB8826, and L. fermentum DSM20055. Plasmid retention after 100 generations of growth for each strain was compared with that of generation 1. (B) Segregational stability of pVE6007 (▪) and pLS212 (▴; a derivative of pVE6007 containing the TA system from pSF118-20) in L. salivarius LS201 in the absence of antibiotic selection. Plasmid maintenance was measured as the percentage of chloramphenicol-resistant colonies. The data shown represent the mean values of the results from three independent experiments.