Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1988 Jan;56(1):112–116. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.1.112-116.1988

Restriction of plasmid DNA during transformation but not conjugation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

D C Stein 1, S Gregoire 1, A Piekarowicz 1
PMCID: PMC259243  PMID: 2826333

Abstract

Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains WR302 and PGH3-2 were characterized with respect to their restriction-modification phenotype. WR302 DNA was cleaved by HaeIII, indicating the lack of methylation at the GGCC sequence. PGH3-2 produced NgoSI (an isoschizomer of NgoII). WR302 produced a restriction enzyme with a recognition sequence different from that of NgoI, NgoII, or NgoIII. Plasmid pFT180 isolated from WR302 was unable to transform PGH3-2, whereas plasmid pFT180 isolated from PGH3-2 was able to transform PGH3-2 at a very high frequency. When plasmid pFT180 isolated from WR302 was methylated in vitro with meth M. HaeIII, this plasmid was able to transform PGH3-2. NgoSI was able to restrict WR302 DNA in vitro, whereas it was incapable of restricting PGH3-2 DNA in vitro. When the self-transmissible R factor pFT6 was mobilized from WR302 to PGH3-2 by conjugation, a 1-order-of-magnitude difference in transfer frequencies was observed, as compared with an isogenic cross. The data indicate that host-mediated restriction can prevent the gonococcus from acquiring DNA via transformation but not via conjugation.

Full text

PDF
113

Images in this article

113Image
on p.113
114Image
on p.114
114Image
on p.114

Selected References

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

  1. Biswas G. D., Sparling P. F. Entry of double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid during transformation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1981 Jan;145(1):638–640. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.1.638-640.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Clanton D. J., Woodward J. M., Miller R. V. Identification of a new sequence-specific endonuclease, NgoII, from Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1978 Jul;135(1):270–273. doi: 10.1128/jb.135.1.270-273.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DUSSOIX D., ARBER W. Host specificity of DNA produced by Escherichia coli. II. Control over acceptance of DNA from infecting phage lambda. J Mol Biol. 1962 Jul;5:37–49. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(62)80059-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Graves J. F., Biswas G. D., Sparling P. F. Sequence-specific DNA uptake in transformation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1982 Dec;152(3):1071–1077. doi: 10.1128/jb.152.3.1071-1077.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Guerry P., LeBlanc D. J., Falkow S. General method for the isolation of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol. 1973 Nov;116(2):1064–1066. doi: 10.1128/jb.116.2.1064-1066.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. KELLOGG D. S., Jr, PEACOCK W. L., Jr, DEACON W. E., BROWN L., PIRKLE D. I. NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE. I. VIRULENCE GENETICALLY LINKED TO CLONAL VARIATION. J Bacteriol. 1963 Jun;85:1274–1279. doi: 10.1128/jb.85.6.1274-1279.1963. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Korch C., Hagblom P., Normark S. Sequence-specific DNA modification in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1983 Sep;155(3):1324–1332. doi: 10.1128/jb.155.3.1324-1332.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Korch C., Hagblom P., Normark S. Type III 5-methylcytosine modification of DNA in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1985 Mar;161(3):1236–1237. doi: 10.1128/jb.161.3.1236-1237.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Krüger D. H., Bickle T. A. Bacteriophage survival: multiple mechanisms for avoiding the deoxyribonucleic acid restriction systems of their hosts. Microbiol Rev. 1983 Sep;47(3):345–360. doi: 10.1128/mr.47.3.345-360.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Norlander L., Davies J. K., Hagblom P., Normark S. Deoxyribonucleic acid modifications and restriction endonuclease production in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1981 Feb;145(2):788–795. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.2.788-795.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Roberts R. J. Restriction and modification enzymes and their recognition sequences. Nucleic Acids Res. 1985;13 (Suppl):r165–r200. doi: 10.1093/nar/13.suppl.r165. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schneider H., Griffiss J. M., Mandrell R. E., Jarvis G. A. Elaboration of a 3.6-kilodalton lipooligosaccharide, antibody against which is absent from human sera, is associated with serum resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Infect Immun. 1985 Dec;50(3):672–677. doi: 10.1128/iai.50.3.672-677.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schneider H., Hale T. L., Zollinger W. D., Seid R. C., Jr, Hammack C. A., Griffiss J. M. Heterogeneity of molecular size and antigenic expression within lipooligosaccharides of individual strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. Infect Immun. 1984 Sep;45(3):544–549. doi: 10.1128/iai.45.3.544-549.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Sox T. E., Mohammed W., Blackman E., Biswas G., Sparling P. F. Conjugative plasmids in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Bacteriol. 1978 Apr;134(1):278–286. doi: 10.1128/jb.134.1.278-286.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sox T. E., Mohammed W., Sparling P. F. Transformation-derived Neisseria gonorrhoeae plasmids with altered structure and function. J Bacteriol. 1979 May;138(2):510–518. doi: 10.1128/jb.138.2.510-518.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Sparling P. F. Genetic transformation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to streptomycin resistance. J Bacteriol. 1966 Nov;92(5):1364–1371. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.5.1364-1371.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stein D. C., Silver L. E., Clark V. L., Young F. E. Cloning genes for proline biosynthesis from Neisseria gonorrhoeae: identification by interspecific complementation of Escherichia coli mutants. J Bacteriol. 1984 May;158(2):696–700. doi: 10.1128/jb.158.2.696-700.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stein D. C., Silver L. E., Clark V. L., Young F. E. Construction and characterization of a new shuttle vector, pLES2, capable of functioning in Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gene. 1983 Nov;25(2-3):241–247. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(83)90228-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stein D. C., Young F. E., Tenover F. C., Clark V. L. Characterization of a chimeric beta-lactamase plasmid of Neisseria gonorrhoeae which can function in Escherichia coli. Mol Gen Genet. 1983;189(1):77–84. doi: 10.1007/BF00326058. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tramont E. C., Sadoff J. C., Boslego J. W., Ciak J., McChesney D., Brinton C. C., Wood S., Takafuji E. Gonococcal pilus vaccine. Studies of antigenicity and inhibition of attachment. J Clin Invest. 1981 Oct;68(4):881–888. doi: 10.1172/JCI110343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES