Characterization of the OCT plasmid encoding alkane oxidation and mercury resistance in Pseudomonas putida

Abstract

Transformation of Pseudomonas putida and analysis for plasmid DNA revealed that both n-alkane oxidation and mercury resistance are encoded on a single 220-megadalton OCT plasmid molecule. Derivatives of OCT having lost the mercury resistance function could be readily isolated and contained a smaller plasmid estimated to be 170 megadaltons. The results show that segregation of the mercury resistance property occurs not by loss of a separate MER plasmid as previously thought but by a deletion in the OCT plasmid.