Skip to main content
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1970 Oct;104(1):340–344. doi: 10.1128/jb.104.1.340-344.1970

Studies on Resistance Transfer Factor Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Escherichia coli

Richard P Silver a,1, Stanley Falkow a
PMCID: PMC248219  PMID: 4919749

Abstract

A variant of the derepressed R factor, R1, which does not contain any of the drug resistance markers, and represents, in large part, the resistance transfer factor (RTF) was studied in Escherichia coli. RTF deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was specifically labeled in a female cell after conjugation. Physical characterization of the molecule showed that RTF possessed an average molecular weight of 50 × 106 daltons and a buoyant density of 1.709 g/cm3. By comparison to R1, we calculate that the region of DNA carrying the drug resistance genes is therefore about 20% of the R1 molecule and has a buoyant density of approximately 1.716 g/cm3. These results support the hypothesis that the single species of R-factor DNA observed in E. coli represents a composite of the 1.709 and 1.716 g/cm3 replicons seen in Proteus.

Full text

PDF
340

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. FALKOW S., WOHLHIETER J. A., CITARELLA R. V., BARON L. S. TRANSFER OF EPISOMIC ELEMENTS TO PROTEUS. I. TRANSFER OF F-LINKED CHROMOSOMAL DETERMINANTS. J Bacteriol. 1964 Jan;87:209–219. doi: 10.1128/jb.87.1.209-219.1964. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Falkow S., Citarella R. V., Wohlhieter J. A. The molecular nature of R-factors. J Mol Biol. 1966 May;17(1):102–116. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(66)80097-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. 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]
  5. Freifelder D. DNA strand breakage by x-irradiation. Radiat Res. 1966 Nov;29(3):329–338. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Freifelder D. Studies on Escherichia coli sex factors. IV. Molecular weights of the DNA of several F' elements. J Mol Biol. 1968 Jul 14;35(1):95–102. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(68)80039-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Novick R. P. Extrachromosomal inheritance in bacteria. Bacteriol Rev. 1969 Jun;33(2):210–263. doi: 10.1128/br.33.2.210-263.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Rownd R., Nakaya R., Nakamura A. Molecular nature of the drug-resistance factors of the Enterobacteriaceae. J Mol Biol. 1966 Jun;17(2):376–393. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(66)80149-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. STUDIER F. W. SEDIMENTATION STUDIES OF THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF DNA. J Mol Biol. 1965 Feb;11:373–390. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(65)80064-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. 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]
  11. Vinograd J., Lebowitz J. Physical and topological properties of circular DNA. J Gen Physiol. 1966 Jul;49(6):103–125. doi: 10.1085/jgp.49.6.103. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES