Summary
The results of screening of 29 diverse cyanobacterial (blue-green algal) strains for plasmid (CCC DNA) content are reported. Approximately one-half of the strains were shown to contain one or more CCC DNAs. CCC DNAs from four unicellular marine cyanobacteria were characterized in more detail. These strains contained multiple plasmids. Two kinds of Southern hybridization experiments allowed us to show that different plasmids within the same strain, and different plasmids within different strains, can (but do not always) contain restricted regions of sequence homology. We suggest that these regions of homology may be analogous to the transposable genetic elements of bacterial plasmids. This, together with indirect but compelling evidence for interspecific (or intergeneric) plasmid transfer, indicates that CCC DNAs (although as yet genetically cryptic) may play a role in the ecology and evolution of obligately autotrophic prokaryotes, as they do in the ecology and evolution of the better-known heterotrophic bacteria.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Asato, Y., Ginoza, H.S.: Separation of small circular DNA molecules from the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans. Nature New Biol. 244, 132–133 (1973)
Allen, M.M.: Simple conditions for growth of blue-green algae on plates. J. Phycol. 4, 1–4 (1968)
Botchan, M., Topp, W., Sambrook, J.: The arrangement of simian virus 40 sequences in the DNA of transformed cells. Cell 9, 269–287 (1976)
Bukhari, A.I., Shapiro, J.A., Adhya, S.L.: DNA insertion elements, plasmids, and episomes. Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 1977
Carr, N.G., Whitton, B.A. (eds.): The biology of blue-green algae. Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications 1973
Cohen, S.N.: Transposable genetic elements and plasmid evolution, Nature 263, 731–738 (1976)
Delaney, S.F., Herdman, M., Carr, N.G.: Genetics of blue-green algae. In: The genetics of algae (R.A. Lewin, ed.), pp. 7–28. Berkeley: University of California Press 1976
Denhardt, D.T.: A membrane-filter technique for the detection of complementary DNA. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 23, 641–646 (1966)
Doolittle, W.F.: The cyanobacterial genome, its expression, and the control of that expression. Adv. Microb. Physiol. 20, 1–102 (1979)
Falkow, S.: Infectious multiple drug resistance. London: Pion Limited 1975
Fogg, G.E., Stewart, W.D.P., Fay, P., Walsby, A.E.: The blue-green algae. London: Academic Press 1973
Gorham, P.R.: Toxic algae. In: Algae and man (D.F. Jackson, ed.), pp. 307–366, New York: Plenum Press 1964
Hondel van den, C.A.M.J.J., Keegstra, W., Borrias, W.E., Arkel, G.A. van. Homology of plasmids in strains of unicellular cyanobacteria. Plasmid 2, 323–333 (1979)
Johnson, P.H., Grossman, L.I.: Electrophoresis of DNA in agarose gels. Optimizing separations of conformational isomers of double-and single-stranded DNAs. Biochemistry 16, 4217–4224 (1977)
Kushner, D.S., Breuil, C.: Penicillinase (β-lactamase) formation by blue-green algae. Arch. Microbiol. 112, 219–223 (1977)
Lau, R.H., Doolittle, W.F.: Covalently closed circular DNA in closely related unicellular cyanobacteria. J. Bacteriol. 137, 648–652 (1979)
Macrina, F.L., Kopecko, D., Jones, K.R., Ayers, D.J., McCowen, S.M.: A multiple plasmid-containing Escherichia coli strain: convenient source of size reference plasmid molecules. Plasmid 1, 417–420 (1978)
Maniatis, T., Jeffrey, A., Kleid, D.G.: Nucleotide sequence of the rightward operator of phage λ. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 72, 1184–1188 (1975)
Margulis, L.: Origin of eukaryotic cells. New Haven: Yale University Press 1970
Nevers, P., Saedler, H.: Transposable genetic elements as agents of gene instability and chromosomal rearrangements. Nature 268, 109–115 (1977)
Restaino, L., Frampton, E.W.: Labelling the deoxyribonucleic acid of Anacvstis nidulans, J. Bacteriol. 124, 155–160 (1975)
Rigby, P.W.J., Dieckmann, M., Rhodes, C., Berg, P.: Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J. Mol. Biol. 113, 237–251 (1977)
Rippka, R., Deruelles, J., Waterbury, J.B., Herdman, M., Stanier, R.Y.: Generic assignments, strain histories and properties of pure cultures of cyanobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol. 111, 1–61 (1979)
Roberts, T.M., Koths, K.E.: The blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum contains covalently closed DNA circles. Cell 9, 551–557 (1976)
Schopf, J.W.: The development and diversification of Precambrian life. Orig. Life 5, 119–135 (1974)
Simon, R.D.: Survey of extrachromosomal DNA found in the filamentous cyanobacteria. J. Bacteriol. 136, 414–418 (1978)
Singer, R.A., Doolittle, W.F.: Leucine biosynthesis in the blue-green bacterium Anacystis nidulans. J. Bacteriol. 124, 810–814 (1975)
Southern, E.M.: Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J. Mol. Biol. 98, 503–517 (1975)
Stanier, R.Y., Cohen-Bazire, G.: Phototrophic prokaryotes: the cyanobacteria. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 31, 225–74 (1977)
Stanier, R.Y., Kunisawa, R., Mandel, M., Cohen-Bazire, G.: Purification and properties of unicellular blue-green algae (order Chroococcales). Bacteriol. Rev. 35, 171–205 (1971)
Walsby, A.E.: Absence of gas vesicle protein in a mutant of Anabaena flos-aquae. Arch. Microbiol. 114, 167–170 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by J. Schell
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lau, R.H., Sapienza, C. & Doolittle, W.F. Cyanobacterial plasmids: Their widespread occurrence, and the existence of regions of homology between plasmids in the same and different species. Molec. Gen. Genet. 178, 203–211 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267230
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00267230