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Plasmid Incompatibility

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Molecular Life Sciences

Synonyms

Plasmid classification; Plasmid family; Plasmid grouping; Replicon type

Definition

Plasmid incompatibility refers to the inability of two plasmids to coexist stably over a number of generations in the same bacterial cell line. Generally, closely related plasmids tend to be incompatible, while distantly related plasmids tend to be compatible. The most frequent reason for two plasmids being incompatible is that they both possess a replicon with the same specificity of Rep protein or controlling elements. However, incompatibility can also be due to other types of competition, for example, between the same or closely related partitioning systems. Incompatibility may be reciprocal, in that both plasmids have the same chance of being lost from a cell line that starts with both, or it can be unidirectional, if one of the plasmids has additional features that give it an advantage – for example, possession of a second replicon. Incompatible plasmids are placed in the same group and...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biosciences, Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Christopher M. Thomas

Authors
  1. Christopher M. Thomas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher M. Thomas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Chemistry, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Ellis Bell

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Thomas, C.M. (2014). Plasmid Incompatibility. In: Bell, E. (eds) Molecular Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_565-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6436-5_565-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6436-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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