Abstract
The type I restriction and modification genes of Escherichia coli can be transferred to other non-modified strains by conjugation without killing the recipient, implying that the restriction function must be regulated. In this study, two isogenic F′ plasmids (r +K and (r −K served as donors in quantitative conjugation experiments with various restriction-deficient strains of E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Conjugation studies with hsd::lacZ operon fusions in F′ plasmids indicate that both of the hsd K promoters, p res, and p mod, express simultaneously following conjugative transfer. Thus these genes do not appear to be regulated at the transcriptional level. A spontaneous mutant of E. coli C was discovered that is presumably killed upon conjugative transfer of the hsd K genes (defined as a Crc− phenotype). The gene that is defective in the mutant was tentatively designated hsdC (control). Hfr gene replacement studies led to the localization of the putative hsdC gene between 6 and 16 min on the E. coli genetic map.
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Abbreviations
- hsd K :
-
the three genes encoding EcoK enzymes, hsdR K, hsdM K and hsS K, hsd C, gene controlling the conjugally transferred hdS K genes
- Crc:
-
control of restriction after conjugative transfer phenotype
- p mod :
-
promoter used to transcribe the hsdM and hsdS genes
- p res :
-
promoter used for transcription of the hsdR gene
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Communicated by W. Arber
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Prakash-Cheng, A., Chung, S.S. & Ryu, Ji. The expression and regulation of hsd K genes after conjugative transfer. Molec. Gen. Genet. 241, 491–496 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00279890
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00279890