Summary
The 8 kbp plasmid pAT4 transformed Haemophilus influenzae Rd cells at low frequencies. Transformation was increased up to 100 times, however, when the recipient cells carried a DNA segment in either their chromosome or in a resident plasmid that was homologous to at least part of plasmid pAT4. Linearized plasmid DNA molecules did not transform cells without DNA homology; they efficiently transformed homology recipients, but only when the cuts had been made in the region of shared homology. In most cases examined the circular donor plasmid had been reconstituted from the transforming DNA; in some cases the reconstituted plasmid carried a mutation initially present in the recipient chromosome, provided the transforming plasmid had been linearized in the region of shared homology. Plasmid reconstitution was not observed in recA1 cells. We conclude that homology-facilitated plasmid transformation (transfer) is similar to that reported for Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Balganesh M, Setlow JK (1985) Differential behavior of plasmids containing chromosomal DNA insertions of various sizes during transformation and conjugation in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 161:141–146
Barany F, Kahn ME, Smith HO (1983) Directional transport and integration of donor DNA in Haemophilus influenzae transformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:7274–7278
Barnhart JW, Cox SH (1968) Radiation-sensitive and radiation-resistant mutants of Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 96:280–282
Behnke D (1981) Plasmid transformation of Streptococcus sanguis (Challis) occurs by circular and linear molecules. Mol Gen Genet 182:490–497
Bensi G, Iglesias A, Canosi U, Trantner TA (1981) Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis: The significance of partial homology between plasmid and recipient cell DNAs. Mol Gen Genet 184:400–404
Cabrera-Juarez E, Setlow JK (1983) Homology and repair of UV-irradiated plasmid DNA in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 153:1088–1091
Campbell A (1962) Episomes. Adv Genet 11:101–145
Canosi U, Iglesias A, Trautner TA (1981) Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis: effects of insertion of Bacillus subtilis DNA into plasmid pC194. Mol Gen Genet 181:434–440
Contente S, Dubnau D (1979) Marker rescue transformation by linear plasmid DNA in Bacillus subtilis. Plasmid 2:555–571
Danner DB, Deich RA, Sisco KL, Smith HO (1980) An 11-base pair sequence determines the specificity of DNA uptake in Haemophilus transformation. Gene 11:311–318
Deich RA, Smith HO (1980) Mechanism of homospecific DNA uptake in Haemophilus influenzae transformation. Mol Gen Genet 177:369–374
Deich RA, Hoyer LC (1982) Generation and release of DNA-binding vesicles by Haemophilus influenzae during induction and loss of competency. J Bacteriol 152:855–864
Devos WM, Venema G (1981) Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis: fate of plasmid DNA. Mol Gen Genet 181:424–433
Devos WM, Venema G (1982) Fate of plasmid DNA in transformation of Bacillus subtilis protoplasts. Mol Gen Genet 182:39–43
Goodgal SH (1982) DNA uptake in Haemophilus influenzae. Annu Rev Genet 16:169–192
Gromkova R, Goodgal SH (1981) The uptake of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid by Haemophilus. J Bacteriol 146:79–84
Guerry P, Leblanc J, Falkow S (1973) General method for the isolation of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 116:1064–1066
Iglesias A, Trautner TA (1983) Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis: symmetry of gene conversion in transformation with a hybrid plasmid containing chromosomal DNA. Mol Gen Genet 189:73–76
Iglesias A, Bensi G, Canosi U, Trautner TA (1981) Plasmid transformation in Bacillus subtilis. Alterations introduced into the recipient-homologous DNA of hybrid plasmids can be corrected in transformation. Mol Gen Genet 184:405–409
Jahn G, Laufs R, Kaulfers PM, Kolenda H (1979) Molecular nature of two Haemophilus influenzae R factors containing resistances and the multiple integration of drug resistance transposons. J Bacteriol 133:1246–1253
Kahn ME, Smith HO (1984) Transformation in Haemophilus: a problem in membrane biology. J Membr Biol 81:89–103
Kahn ME, Concino M, Gromkova R, Goodgal SH (1979) DNA binding activity of vesicles produced by competent-deficient mutants of Haemophilus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 87:764–772
Kahn ME, Maul G, Goodgal SH (1982) Possible mechanism for donor DNA binding and transport in Haemophilus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:6370–6374
Kahn ME, Barany F, Smith HO (1983) Transformasomes: specialized membranous structures that protect DNA during Haemophilus transformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:6927–6931
Klingeren BV, Embden JDAV, Dessens-Kroon M (1977) Plasmid-mediated chloramphenicol resistance in Haemophilus influenzae. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 11:383–387
Lacks SA (1979) Uptake of circular deoxyribonucleic acid and mechanism of deoxyribonucleic acid transport in genetic transformation of Streptococcus pneumoniae. J Bacteriol 138:404–409
Lopez P, Espinosa M, Stassi D, Lacks SA (1982) Facilitation of plasmid transfer in Streptococcus pneumoniae by chromosomal homology. J Bacteriol 150:692–701
Meyers JA, Sanchez D, Elwell LP, Falkow S (1976) Simple agarose gel electrophoresis method for the identification and characterization of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 127:1529–1537
Michel B, Niaudet B, Ehrlich SD (1983) Intermolecular recombination during transformation of Bacillus subtilis competent cells by monomeric and dimeric plasmids. Plasmid 10:1–10
Mottes M, Grandi G, Sgaramella V, Canossi U, Morelli G, Trautner TA (1979) Different specific activities of the monomeric and oligomeric forms of plasmid DNA in transformation of B. subtilis and E. coli. Mol Gen Genet 174:281–286
Notani NK (1981) Genetic and molecular events in transformation of Haemophilus influenzae with plasmid RSF0885 carrying cloned segments of chromosomal DNA. J Biosci 3:431–438
Notani NK, Setlow JK, McCarthy D, Clayton N-L (1981) Transformation of Haemophilus influenzae by plasmid RSF0885. J Bacteriol 148:812–816
Saunders CW, Guild WR (1980) Monomer plasmid DNA transforms Streptococcus pneumoniae. Mol Gen Genet 181:57–62
Saunders CW, Guild WR (1981) The pathway of plasmid transformation in Pneumococcus: open circular and linear molecules are active. J Bacteriol 146:517–526
Setlow JK, Brown DC, Boling JE, Mattingly A, Gordon MP (1968) Repair of deoxyribonucleic acid in Haemophilus influenzae. X-ray-sensitivity of ultraviolet-sensitive mutants and their behavior as hosts to ultraviolet-irradiated bacteriophage and transforming deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 95:546–558
Setlow JK, Notani NK, McCarthy D, Clayton N-L (1981) Transformation of Haemophilus influenzae by plasmid RSF0885 containing a cloned segment of chromosomal deoxyribonucleic acid. J Bacteriol 148:804–811
Setlow JK, Cabrera-Juarez E, Griffin K (1984) Mechanism of acquisition of chromosomal markers by plasmids in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 160:662–667
Sisco KL, Smith HO (1979) Sequence-specific DNA uptake in Haemophilus transformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 76:972–976
Stassi DL, Lopez P, Espinosa M, Lacks SA (1981) Cloning of chromosomal genes in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:7028–7032
Stuy JH (1962) Transformability of Haemophilus influenzae. J Gen Microbiol 29:537–549
Stuy JH (1979) Plasmid transfer in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 139:520–529
Stuy JH (1980a) Chromosomally integrated conjugative plasmids are common in antibiotic-resistant Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 142:925–930
Stuy JH (1980b) Tetracycline-stimulated expression of ampicillin resistance in Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 144:823–825
Stuy JH (1985) Transfer of genetic information within a colony of Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 162:1–4
Stuy JH, Walter RB (1981) Addition, deletion, and substitution of long nonhomologous deoxyribonucleic acid segments by genetic transformation of Haemophilus influenzae. J Bacteriol 148:565–571
Stuy JH, Walter RB (1986) Effect of glycerol on plasmid transfer in genetically competent Haemophilus influenzae. Mol Gen Genet 203:296–299
Weinrauch Y, Dubnau D (1983) Plasmid marker rescue transformation in Bacillus subtilis. J Bacteriol 154:1077–1087
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by G.R. Smith
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stuy, J.H., Walter, R.B. Homology-facilitated plasmid transfer in Haemophilus influenzae . Molec Gen Genet 203, 288–295 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333968
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333968