TRANSFER OF EPISOMIC ELEMENTS TO PROTEUS I

Abstract

Falkow, Stanley (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), J. A. Wohlhieter, R. V. Citarella, and L. S. Baron . Transfer of episomic elements to Proteus . I. Transfer of F-linked chromosomal determinants. J. Bacteriol. 87: 209–219. 1964.—F-linked lac + genes may be transferred from Escherichia coli to several species of Proteus by conjugation. Usually the transferred genetic elements are markedly unstable in Proteus , but repeated plating permits the selection of relatively stable Proteus lac + strains. Proteus strains carrying F-linked lac + markers are heterogenotes and limited donors for lac + . In addition, both the fertility and lac + property may be eliminated from Proteus by treatment with acridine orange. Escherichia and Proteus possess very different overall deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) base compositions. In CsCl density gradients of DNA extracted from Proteus lac + strains, the acquisition of Escherichia genes by Proteus may be correlated with the addition of a physically recognizable high molecular weight, native DNA fraction of Escherichia base composition. Proteus lac + strains synthesize a β-galactosidase which is indistinguishable from E. coli enzyme by several criteria. Despite this specificity, the regulatory functions of Escherichia lac + genes appear to be impaired in Proteus .