title: Mutagenesis of dimeric plasmids by the transposon gamma delta (Tn1000).
abstract: The Escherichia coli F factor mediates conjugal transfer of a plasmid such as pBR322 primarily by replicative transposition of transposon gamma delta (Tn1000) from F to that plasmid to form a cointegrate intermediate. Although resolution of this cointegrate always yields a plasmid containing a single gamma delta insertion, the occasional recovery of transposon-free plasmids after conjugal transfer has led to alternative hypotheses for F mobilization. We show here that gamma delta-free plasmids are found after F-mediated conjugal transfer only when the donor plasmid is a dimer and the recipient is Rec+.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-2131.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004278:DNA, Superhelical