The presence of restriction enzymes in bacterial cells has been predicted by either classical phage restriction-modification (R-M) tests, direct in vitro enzyme assays or more recently from bacterial genome sequence analysis. We have applied phage R-M test principles to the transformation of plasmid DNA and established a plasmid R-M test. To validate this test, six plasmids that contain BamHI f...

R-Plasmids from a number of trimethoprim-resistant Escherichia coli and Citrobacter sp. were studied after transfer to E. coli K12 hosts. Each was found to specify a dihydrofolate reductase which was resistant to trimethoprim and Methotrexate, and which could be completely separated from the host chromosomal enzyme by gel filtration. Two distinct types of R-plasmid dihydrofolate reductases were...

Rickettsia typhi is the causative agent of endemic typhus, a disease with increasing incidence worldwide that can be fatal. Because of its obligate intracellular life style, genetic manipulation of the pathogen is difficult. Nonetheless, in recent years, genetic manipulation tools have been successfully applied to rickettsiae. We describe here for the first time the transformation of R. typhi w...

The genes for the large and small subunits of anthranilate synthase (trpE and trpG, respectively) have been cloned from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAC174 into E. coli by R-prime formation with the broad-host-range plasmid R68.44. Sequential subcloning into plasmid vectors reduced the active Pseudomonas DNA fragment to a length of 3.1 kb. We obtained evidence that this region contains the promoter f...

A temperature-sensitive fi(-) R plasmid, pJY1, which confers resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and sulfonamide, was found in a drug-resistant strain of Vibrio cholerae (biotype El Tor) isolated in the Philippines in 1973. The R plasmid is temperature sensitive for transferability but not for stability in the hosts. pJY1 is stably maintained either in V. cholerae or in Escherichia col...

Strain T1K, reported to be Rhizobium trifolii strain T1 carrying the drug resistance plasmid RU-1drd, was able to transfer a cluster of nif+ genes to Escherichia coli K-12. Additional genetic material, resembling the gal-chlA region of E. coli, was also transferred from strain T1K. The segregation pattern of these transferred genes suggested that they were on a plasmid. Although strain TIK was ...

Plasmids of the H incompatibility complex confer protection against all known channel-forming colicins (PacB character) and resistance to potassium tellurite (Te(r)) to Escherichia coli strains. A DNA clone (2.2 kbp) from plasmid Mip233 (IncHI3) expressing PacB-Te(r) phenotypes was studied. DNA sequence analysis revealed a high degree of homology with the enzyme O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase. Si...

Spread of multiresistant strains of Salmonella typhimurium phage types 204 and 193 in Britain Since June 1977 two phage types of Salmonella typhimurium, both showing multiple drug resistance, have caused many infections in bovines and humans throughout Britain. The phage types are type 204, with resistance to chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamides, and tetracyclines (R-type CSSuT), and ty...