Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1971 Feb;105(2):620–628. doi: 10.1128/jb.105.2.620-628.1971

R Factor Deoxyribonucleic Acid in Chromosomeless Progeny of Escherichia coli

Joseph Inselburg 1
PMCID: PMC248436  PMID: 5541537

Abstract

The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of resistance (R) factor 222 carried by Escherichia coli strain P678-54 was found in the normally chromosomeless progeny (minicells) of that strain. The entry of the R222 DNA into minicells appears to be via segregation at the time of their formation from normal cells. The R222 DNA can replicate in minicells although the extent of its replication appears to be limited. An analysis of the R222 DNA structure indicates that it exists in minicells as double-stranded linear, open circular, and twisted circular monomers (molecular weight, about 6.2 × 107 daltons). The monomers visualized by electron microscopy are 31.0 ± 0.5 μm in length. An examination of the effect of acridine orange on the replication of R222 and colicin E1 DNA indicates the dye intereferes with plasmid DNA replication.

Full text

PDF
622

Images in this article

624Image
on p.624

Selected References

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

  1. Adler H. I., Fisher W. D., Cohen A., Hardigree A. A. MINIATURE escherichia coli CELLS DEFICIENT IN DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Feb;57(2):321–326. doi: 10.1073/pnas.57.2.321. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bode V. C., MacHattie L. A. Electron microscopy of superhelical circular lambda DNA. J Mol Biol. 1968 Mar 28;32(3):673–679. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90350-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CLWES R. C., MOODY E. E., PRITCHARD R. H. THE ELIMINATION OF EXTRACHROMOSOMAL ELEMENTS IN THYMINELESS STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI K12. Genet Res. 1965 Feb;6:147–152. doi: 10.1017/s0016672300004018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. 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]
  5. Hershey A. D., Burgi E., Ingraham L. COHESION OF DNA MOLECULES ISOLATED FROM PHAGE LAMBDA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1963 May;49(5):748–755. doi: 10.1073/pnas.49.5.748. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hirota Y. THE EFFECT OF ACRIDINE DYES ON MATING TYPE FACTORS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1960 Jan;46(1):57–64. doi: 10.1073/pnas.46.1.57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hohn B., Korn D. Cosegregation of a sex factor with the Escherichia coli chromosome during curing by acridine orange. J Mol Biol. 1969 Oct 28;45(2):385–395. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(69)90113-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ikeda H., Tomizawa J. I. Transducing fragments in generalized transduction by phage P1. I. Molecular origin of the fragments. J Mol Biol. 1965 Nov;14(1):85–109. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(65)80232-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Inselburg J., Fuke M. Replicating DNA: structure of colicin factor E1. Science. 1970 Aug 7;169(3945):590–592. doi: 10.1126/science.169.3945.590. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Inselburg J. Segregation into and replication of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid in chromosomeless segregants of Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol. 1970 Jun;102(3):642–647. doi: 10.1128/jb.102.3.642-647.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Levy S. B., Norman P. Segregation of transferable R factors into Escherichia coli minicells. Nature. 1970 Aug 8;227(5258):606–607. doi: 10.1038/227606a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. 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]
  13. Ogawa T., Tomizawa J. I., Fuke M. Replication of bacteriophage DNA, II. Structure of replicating DNA of phage lambda. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1968 Jul;60(3):861–865. doi: 10.1073/pnas.60.3.861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Radloff R., Bauer W., Vinograd J. A dye-buoyant-density method for the detection and isolation of closed circular duplex DNA: the closed circular DNA in HeLa cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 May;57(5):1514–1521. doi: 10.1073/pnas.57.5.1514. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Roth T. F., Helinski D. R. Evidence for circular DNA forms of a bacterial plasmid. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1967 Aug;58(2):650–657. doi: 10.1073/pnas.58.2.650. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. 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]
  17. Vinograd J., Lebowitz J., Radloff R., Watson R., Laipis P. The twisted circular form of polyoma viral DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 May;53(5):1104–1111. doi: 10.1073/pnas.53.5.1104. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. WATANABE T., FUKASAWA T. Episome-mediated transfer of drug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. II. Elimination of resistance factors with acridine dyes. J Bacteriol. 1961 May;81:679–683. doi: 10.1128/jb.81.5.679-683.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. 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]
  20. Yamagata H., Uchida H. Effect of acridine orange on sex factor multiplication in Escherichia coli. J Mol Biol. 1969 Nov 28;46(1):73–84. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(69)90058-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES