Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1971 Oct;108(1):508–514. doi: 10.1128/jb.108.1.508-514.1971

Physical Properties and Mechanism of Transfer of R Factors in Escherichia coli

Daniel Vapnek 1, Muriel B Lipman 2, W Dean Rupp 3
PMCID: PMC247092  PMID: 4107814

Abstract

The physical properties of F-like and I-like R factors have been compared with those of the wild-type F factor in Escherichia coli K-12 unmated cells and after transfer to recipient cells by conjugation. The F-like R factor R538-1drd was found to have a molecular weight of 49 × 106, whereas the molecular weight of the I-like R factor R64drd11 was 76 × 106. The wild-type F factor, F1, had a molecular weight of 62 × 106. When conjugation experiments are performed by using donor strains carrying these derepressed F-like or I-like R factors, the transferred deoxyribonucleic acid can be isolated as a covalently closed circle from the recipient cells. This circular deoxyribonucleic acid was characterized by making use of the observation that the complementary strands of these R factors can be separated in a CsCl-poly (U, G) equilibrium gradient. The results of the strand-separation experiments show that only one of the complementary strands of the R factor is transferred from the donor to the recipient. With both the F-like and I-like R factors, this strand is the heavier strand in CsCl-poly (U, G). These results indicate that even though F-like and I-like R factors differ greatly in many properties (phage specificity, size, compatability, etc.), they are transferred by a similar mechanism.

Full text

PDF
508

Images in this article

Selected References

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

  1. Cohen S. N., Miller C. A. Multiple molecular species of circular R-factor DNA isolated from Escherichia coli. Nature. 1969 Dec 27;224(5226):1273–1277. doi: 10.1038/2241273a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cooke M., Meynell E., Lawn A. M. Mutant Hfr strains defective in transfer: restoration by F-like and I-like de-repressed R factors. Genet Res. 1970 Aug;16(1):101–112. doi: 10.1017/s0016672300002317. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cooper S., Helmstetter C. E. Chromosome replication and the division cycle of Escherichia coli B/r. J Mol Biol. 1968 Feb 14;31(3):519–540. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90425-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Datta N., Lawn A. M., Meynell E. The relationship of F type piliation and F phage sensitivity to drug resistance transfer in R+F- Escherichia coli K 12. J Gen Microbiol. 1966 Nov;45(2):365–376. doi: 10.1099/00221287-45-2-365. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Freifelder D. R., Freifelder D. Studies on Escherichia coli sex factors. I. Specific labeling of F'Lac DNA. J Mol Biol. 1968 Feb 28;32(1):15–23. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90141-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Freifelder D. Molecular weights of coliphages and coliphage DNA. IV. Molecular weights of DNA from bacteriophages T4, T5 and T7 and the general problem of determination of M. J Mol Biol. 1970 Dec 28;54(3):567–577. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90127-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HIROTA Y., NISHIMURA Y., ORSKOV F., ORSKOV I. EFFECT OF DRUG-RESISTANCE FACTOR R ON THE F PROPERTIES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI. J Bacteriol. 1964 Feb;87:341–351. doi: 10.1128/jb.87.2.341-351.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hudson B., Upholt W. B., Devinny J., Vinograd J. The use of an ethidium analogue in the dye-buoyant density procedure for the isolation of closed circular DNA: the variation of the superhelix density of mitochondrial DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Mar;62(3):813–820. doi: 10.1073/pnas.62.3.813. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kontomichalou P., Mitani M., Clowes R. C. Circular R-factor molecules controlling penicillinase synthesis, replicating in Escherichia coli under either relaxed or stringent control. J Bacteriol. 1970 Oct;104(1):34–44. doi: 10.1128/jb.104.1.34-44.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lang D. Molecular weights of coliphages and coliphage DNA. 3. Contour length and molecular weight of DNA from bacteriophages T4, T5 and T7, and from bovine papilloma virus. J Mol Biol. 1970 Dec 28;54(3):557–565. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90126-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lawn A. M., Meynell E. Serotypes of sex pili. J Hyg (Lond) 1970 Dec;68(4):683–694. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400042625. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lawn A. M., Meynell G. G., Meynell E., Datta N. Sex pili and the classification of sex factors in the enterobacteriaceae. Nature. 1967 Oct 28;216(5113):343–346. doi: 10.1038/216343a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Meynell E., Datta N. Mutant drug resistant factors of high transmissibility. Nature. 1967 May 27;214(5091):885–887. doi: 10.1038/214885a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Meynell E., Datta N. The relation of resistance transfer factors to the F-factor (sex-factor) of Escherichia coli K12. Genet Res. 1966 Feb;7(1):134–140. doi: 10.1017/s0016672300009538. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Meynell E., Meynell G. G., Datta N. Phylogenetic relationships of drug-resistance factors and other transmissible bacterial plasmids. Bacteriol Rev. 1968 Mar;32(1):55–83. doi: 10.1128/br.32.1.55-83.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Meynell G. G., Lawn A. M. Filamentous phages specific for the I sex factor. Nature. 1968 Mar 23;217(5134):1184–1186. doi: 10.1038/2171184a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Meynell G. G., Lawn A. M. Sex pili and common pili in the conjugational transfer of colicin factor Ib by Salmonella typhimurium. Genet Res. 1967 Jun;9(3):359–367. doi: 10.1017/s0016672300010636. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Nisioka T., Mitani M., Clowes R. C. Molecular recombination between R-factor deoxyribonucleic acid molecules in Escherichia coli host cells. J Bacteriol. 1970 Jul;103(1):166–177. doi: 10.1128/jb.103.1.166-177.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Nisioka T., Mitani M., Clowes R. Composite circular forms of R factor deoxyribonucleic acid molecules. J Bacteriol. 1969 Jan;97(1):376–385. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.1.376-385.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. 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]
  21. Otsubo E. Transfer-defective mutants of sex factors in Escherichia coli. II. Deletion mutants of an F-prime and deletion mapping of cistrons involved in genetic transfer. Genetics. 1970 Feb;64(2):189–197. doi: 10.1093/genetics/64.2.189. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. SUGINO Y., HIROTA Y. Conjugal fertility associated with resistance factor R in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1962 Nov;84:902–910. doi: 10.1128/jb.84.5.902-910.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Silver R. P., Falkow S. Specific labeling and physical characterization of R-factor deoxyribonucleic acid in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1970 Oct;104(1):331–339. doi: 10.1128/jb.104.1.331-339.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Vapnek D., Rupp W. D. Asymmetric segregation of the complementary sex-factor DNA strands during conjugation in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1970 Nov 14;53(3):287–303. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(70)90066-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. WATANABE T., FUKASAWA T. Episome-mediated transfer of drug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae IV. Interactions between resistance transfer factor and F-factor in Escherichia coli K-12. J Bacteriol. 1962 Apr;83:727–735. doi: 10.1128/jb.83.4.727-735.1962. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. WATANABE T. Infective heredity of multiple drug resistance in bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1963 Mar;27:87–115. doi: 10.1128/br.27.1.87-115.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Watanabe T., Takano T., Arai T., Nishida H., Sato S. Episome-mediated Transfer of Drug Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae X. Restriction and Modification of Phages by fi R Factors. J Bacteriol. 1966 Aug;92(2):477–486. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.2.477-486.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Willetts N. S. The interaction of an I-like R factor and transfer-deficient mutants of Flac in E. coli K 12. Mol Gen Genet. 1970;108(4):365–373. doi: 10.1007/BF00267774. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES