Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Plasmids in methanotrophic bacteria: isolation, characterization and DNA hybridization analysis

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Archives of Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ten strains of obligate methanotrophs were screened for the presence of plasmid DNA using a variety of methods. Plasmids were detected in all strains except Methylococcus capsulatus Bath. No significant similarity between plasmids was observed with respect to size or restriction digest patterns except for three strains of Methylosinus trichosporium, which appeared to contain the same three plasmids. Nitrocellulose filter hybridization revealed that the plasmid DNA from the M. trichosporium strains shared a small region of homology with the plasmid DNA from Methylosinus sporium 5. All of the plasmids remain cryptic. As the first step in characterization, a restriction digest map of the 55 kb plasmid found in Methylomonas albus BG8 was constructed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

kb:

kilobases

References

  • Anthony C (1982) The commercial exploitation of methylotrophs. In: The Biochemistry of Methylotrophs, London, Academic Press, pp 328–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Currier TC, Nester EW (1976) Isolation of covalently closed circular DNA of high molecular weight from bacteria. Anal Biochem 76:431–441

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eckhardt T (1978) A rapid method for the identification of plasmid desoxyribonucleic acid in bacteria. Plasmid 1:584–588

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foster TJ (1983) Plasmid-determined resistance to antimicrobial drugs and toxic metal ions in bacteria. Microbiol Rev 47:361–409

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haber CL, Allen LN, Hanson RS (1983) Methylotrophic bacteria: diversity and genetics. Science 221:1147–1152

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanson RS (1980) Ecology and diversity of methylotrophic organisms. Adv in Appl Microbiol 26:3–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway BM (1984) Genetics of methylotrophs. In: Methylotrophs: Microbiology, Biochemistry and Genetics, Hou CT (ed) Boca Raton, CRC

    Google Scholar 

  • Kado CI, Liu ST (1981) Rapid procedure for detection and isolation of large and small plasmids. J Bacteriol 145:1365–1373

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschmidt AK (1968) Monolayer techniques in electron microscopy of nucleic acid molecules. In: Grossman L, Moldave K (eds) Methods in Enzymology Vol. 12:361–377

  • Lidstrom-O'Connor M (1983) Genetics in methylotrophs. In: Microbiology 1983, Schlessinger H (ed) Washington, ASM Press, pp 155–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Lidstrom-O'Connor ME, Fulton GF, Wopat AE (1983) Methylobacterium ethanolicum: a syntrophic association of two methylotrophic bacteria. J Gen Microbiol 129:3139–3148

    Google Scholar 

  • Maniatis T, Jeffrey A, Kleid DG (1975) Nucleotide sequence of the rightward operator of phage lambda. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 72:1184–1188

    Google Scholar 

  • Maniatis T, Fritsch EF, Sambrook J (1982) Molecular Cloning, a Laboratory Manual. Cold Spring Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor ML (1981) Regulation and genetics in facultative methylotrophic bacteria. In: Microbiol Growth in C1 Compounds Dalton H (ed) London, Heyden, pp 294–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Portnoy DA, Moseley SL, Falkow S (1981) Characterization of plasmids and plasmid-associated determinants of Yersinia enterocolitica pathogenesis. Infec Immun 31:775–782

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg C, Casse-Delbart F, Dusha I, David M, Boucher C (1982) Megaplasmids in the plant-associated bacteria Rhizobium meliloti and Pseudomonas solanacearum. J Bacteriol 150:402–406

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ruvkun GB, Ausubel FM (1980) Interspecies homology of nitrogen fixation genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 77:191–195

    Google Scholar 

  • Toukdarian A, Lidstrom M (1984) DNA hybridization analysis of the nif region of two methylotrophs and molecular cloning of nif-specific DNA. J Bacteriol 157:925–930

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wahl GM, Stern M, Stark GR (1979) Efficient transfer of large DNA fragments from agarose gels to diazobenzylomethyl-paper and rapid hybridization using dextran sulfate. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 76:3683–3687

    Google Scholar 

  • Warner PJ, Higgins IJ (1977) Examination of obligate and facultative methylotrophs for plamid DNA. FEMS Microbiol Lett 1:339–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whittenbury R, Dalton H (1981) The methylotrophic bacteria. In: The Prokaryotes. Starr MP, Stolp H, Trüper HG, Balows A, Schlegel HG (eds) Springer, Heidelberg, pp 894–902

    Google Scholar 

  • Whittenbury R, Phillips KC, Wilkinson JF (1970) Enrichment, isolation and some properties of methane-utilizing bacteria. J Gen Microbiol 61:205–218

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology SC-42, University of Washington, 98195, Seattle, WA, USA

    Mary E. Lidstrom & Ann E. Wopat

Authors
  1. Mary E. Lidstrom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ann E. Wopat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Formerly Mary L. O'Connor

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lidstrom, M.E., Wopat, A.E. Plasmids in methanotrophic bacteria: isolation, characterization and DNA hybridization analysis. Arch. Microbiol. 140, 27–33 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409767

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00409767

Key words

Search

Navigation