Biomaterial Database

Conservation of plasmids among Escherichia coli K1 isolates of diverse origins. 1984

A A Mercer, and G Morelli, and M Heuzenroeder, and M Kamke, and M Achtman

Escherichia coli K1 isolates of various O types were previously assigned to different clonal groups. Members of the two clones defined by membrane pattern 9 (MP9) and serotypes O18:K1 and O1:K1 had been found to be very similar to each other. The plasmid contents of these bacteria confirmed this conclusion. Both groups carried a self-transmissible plasmid of the FI incompatibility group that coded for colicin production and a major outer membrane protein called the plasmid-coded protein (PCP). The size of this plasmid varied from 76 to 96 megadaltons, but restriction endonuclease digestion and DNA heteroduplex analysis revealed that these plasmids were highly related. O18:K1 bacteria of MP6 had previously been determined to represent a subclone, related to but different from O18:K1 MP9 bacteria. These MP6 bacteria carried a different, smaller IncFI plasmid which did not code for colicin production or the PCP protein. This smaller plasmid was primarily related to the larger plasmid within the regions of DNA encoding incompatibility, replication, and conjugation. O1:K1 bacteria of MP5 contained other unrelated plasmids in agreement with the previous conclusion that they are unrelated to O1:K1 bacteria of MP9. The bacteria examined had been isolated from two continents over a time span of 38 years, and the results attest to conservative inheritance of plasmids within bacteria of common descent.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010957	Plasmids	Extrachromosomal, usually CIRCULAR DNA molecules that are self-replicating and transferable from one organism to another. They are found in a variety of bacterial, archaeal, fungal, algal, and plant species. They are used in GENETIC ENGINEERING as CLONING VECTORS.	Episomes,Episome,Plasmid
D004262	DNA Restriction Enzymes	Enzymes that are part of the restriction-modification systems. They catalyze the endonucleolytic cleavage of DNA sequences which lack the species-specific methylation pattern in the host cell's DNA. Cleavage yields random or specific double-stranded fragments with terminal 5'-phosphates. The function of restriction enzymes is to destroy any foreign DNA that invades the host cell. Most have been studied in bacterial systems, but a few have been found in eukaryotic organisms. They are also used as tools for the systematic dissection and mapping of chromosomes, in the determination of base sequences of DNAs, and have made it possible to splice and recombine genes from one organism into the genome of another. EC 3.21.1.	Restriction Endonucleases,DNA Restriction Enzyme,Restriction Endonuclease,Endonuclease, Restriction,Endonucleases, Restriction,Enzymes, DNA Restriction,Restriction Enzyme, DNA,Restriction Enzymes, DNA
D004269	DNA, Bacterial	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of bacteria.	Bacterial DNA
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D013997	Time Factors	Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.	Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor