Summary
A segment of DNA located in the region of the E. coli K12 chromosome previously identified by the Rac phenotype can function as a self-replicating plasmid. Evidence is presented that this plasmid, the oriJ plasmid, contains the origin of replication of a defective prophage postulated to be located in this chromosomal region by Low (1973). The plasmid can only be maintained in strains in which this postulated prophage has been deleted. In strains which possess the prophage selection for plasmid maintenance permits the isolation of clones containing new deletions which we postulate are the result of prophage excision.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams, M.H.: In: Bacteriophages. New York: Interscience Inc. 1959
Berg, D.E.: Genes of phage λ essential for λdv plasmids. Virology 62, 224–233 (1974)
Cohen, S.N., Chang, A.C.Y., Hsu, L.: Nonchromosomal antibiotic resistance in bacteria: genetic transformation of Escherichia coli by R-factor DNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 69, 2110–2114 (1972)
Collins, C.J., Jackson, D.A., De Vries, F.A.J.: Biochemical construction of specific chimeric plasmids from ColE1 DNA and unfractionated Escherichia coli DNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 73, 3838–3842 (1976)
De Vries F.A.J., Collins, C.S., Jackson, D.A.: Joining of Simian virus to DNA molecules at endonuclease R EcoR1 sites by polynucleotide ligase and analysis of the products by agarose gel electrophoresis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 435, 213–227 (1976)
Diaz, R., Pritchard, R.H.: Cloning of replication origins from the E. coli K12 chromosome. Nature 275, 561–564 (1978)
Gottesman, M.M., Gottesman, M.E., Gottesman, S., Gellert, M.: Characterization of bacteriophage λ reverse as an Escherichia coli phage carrying a unique set of host-derived recombination functions. J. Mol. Biol. 88, 471–487 (1974)
Green, P.J., Betlach, M.C., Goodman, H.H., Boyer, H.N.: In: Methods in molecular biology (Nickner, R.H., ed.). New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. 1974
Humphreys, G.O., Willshaw, G.A., Anderson, E.S.: A simple method for the preparation of large quantities of pure plasmid DNA. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 383, 457–462 (1975)
Jeffrey, A.J., Flavell, R.A.: A physical map of the DNA regions flanking the rabbit B-globin gene. Cell 12, 429–439 (1977)
Kaiser, K., Murray, N.E.: Physical characterisation of the “Rac prophage” in E. coli K12. Mol. Gen. Genet. (1979)
Lennox, E.S.: Transduction of linked genetic characters of the host by bacteriophage p1. Virology 1, 190–206 (1955)
Lloyd, R.G., Barbour, S.D.: The genetic location of the sbcA gene of Escherichia coli. Mol. Gen. Genet. 134, 157–171 (1974)
Low, B.: Escherichia coli K-12 F-prime factors, old and new. Bact. Rev. 36, 587–607 (1972)
Low, B.: Restoration by the rac locus of recombinant forming ability in recB- and recC- merozygotes of Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Gen. Genet. 122, 119–130 (1973)
Marmur, J.: A procedure for the isolation of deoxyribonucleic acid from micro-organisms. J. Mol. Biol. 3, 208–218 (1961)
Marsh, R.C., Worcell, A.: A DNA fragment containing the origin of replication of the Escherichia coli chromosome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 2720–2724 (1977)
Matsubara, K.: Genetic structure and regulation of a replicon of plasmid λdv. J. Mol. Biol. 102, 427–439 (1976)
McDonell, M.V., Simon, M.N., Studier, F.N.: Analysis of restriction fragments of T7 DNA and determination of molecular weights by electrophoresis in neutral and alkaline gels. J. Mol. Biol. 110, 119–146 (1977)
Miller, J.: In: Experiments in molecular genetics, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Press 1972
Murray, K., Murray, N.: Phage lambda receptor chromosomes for DNA fragments made with restriction endonuclease III of Haemophilus influenzal and restriction endonuclease I of Escherichia coli. J. Mol. Biol. 98, 551–564 (1975)
Southern, E.M.: Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J. Mol. Biol. 98, 503–518 (1975)
Templin, A., Kushner, S.R., Clark, A.J.: Genetic analysis of mutations indirectly suppressing recB and recC mutations. Genetics 72, 205–215 (1972)
Von Meyenburg, K., Hansen, F.G., Nielsen, L.D., Jørgensen, P.: Origin of replication, oriC of the Escherichia coli chromosome: Mapping of genes relative to R.EcoRI cleavage sites in the oriC region. Mol. Gen. Genet. 158, 101–109 (1977)
Von Meyenburg, K., Hansen, F.G., Nielsen, L.D., Riise, E.: Origin of replication, oriC of the Escherichia coli chromosome on specialized transducing phages λasn. Mol. Gen. Genet. 160, 287–295 (1978)
Yasuda, S., Hirota, Y.: Cloning and mapping of the replication origin of Escherichia coli. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5458–5462 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by W. Arber
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Diaz, R., Barnsley, P. & Pritchard, R.H. Location and characterisation of a new replication origin in the E. coli K12 chromosome. Molec. Gen. Genet. 175, 151–157 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425531
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425531