title: Characterisation of plasmids extracted from AIDS--associated Mycobacterium avium isolates.
abstract: The plasmid profiles of 12 Mycobacterium avium strains isolated from 12 different patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were analysed. Plasmids were identified in 9 of these strains. Plasmids were isolated from all 7 serovars 4 and 8 strains, a serovar 20a strain and an untypeable strain, but were not detected in either of 2 serovar 3b strains or an untypeable isolate. Southern blot hybridisations revealed that extracts derived from all of the plasmid-containing strains hybridised to a DNA probe prepared from known mycobacterial plasmid sequences. However, restriction analyses suggest that native plasmids which hybridised to the DNA probe and were similar in mass were not identical.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rouse
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chaparas
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Witebsky
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000502:physiology*