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Pleiotropic effects of de-repressed bacterial sex factors on colicinogeny and cell wall structure

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Summary

Colonies of Escherichia coli or Salmonella typhimurium that form colicin I often produce larger inhibition zones when the sex factor of their plasmid is de-repressed. In liquid culture, virtually all colicin I is cell-bound; colicin titres with de-repressed factors are only slightly greater than with the wild type; no more covalently-closed plasmid DNA is present; and no more plasmid-determined enzyme is formed. The large zones are therefore unlikely to reflect an increase in the number of plasmid genomes per cell. De-repressed factors make the cells susceptible to lytic agents, indicating a change in the cell wall, which may result in greater release of cell-bound colicin and so increase the size of inhibition zones.

Salmonella typhimurium LT2 carries a plasmid of unknown function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Guinness-Lister Research Unit, Lister Institute, London

    J. E. Dowman & G. G. Meynell

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  1. J. E. Dowman
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  2. G. G. Meynell
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Communicated by R. H. Pritchard

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Dowman, J.E., Meynell, G.G. Pleiotropic effects of de-repressed bacterial sex factors on colicinogeny and cell wall structure. Molec. Gen. Genetics 109, 57–68 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334046

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00334046

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