Figure 1. Schematic representation of pXS2, pXS3 and the in-frame deletion regions in pMF1.21, pMF1.22 and pMF1.23 and their influence on the stability of the plasmids.

The white portion within the gray bar stands for the deletion of the corresponding genes in pXS13, pXS14 and pXS15. The corresponding stability of these plasmids in M. xanthus after growth for 96 h and 120 h without selective pressure is indicated on the right. NT, not tested.