title: N conjugative transfer system of plasmid pCU1.
abstract: The mating and plasmid DNA transfer functions in Escherichia coli K-12 strains that are determined by the IncN group plasmid pCU1 are specified by a single 19.4-kilobase (kb) segment of the 39-kb plasmid. Analysis of this tra region by transposon Tn5 mutagenesis and by complementation tests indicated that a subset of tra comprising six complementation groups (presumably transcription units) determines sensitivity to the N pilus-specific bacteriophages IKe and PRD1. Deletion derivatives and molecular clones that contained only this part of tra conferred sensitivity to IKe and PRD1 and the ability to produce N pili without conferring the Tra phenotype. The entire tra region contained two other complementation groups. If the 19.4-kb tra region is interrupted by DNA that is irrelevant to the Tra phenotype, such DNA must be less than 2 kb long. There are two regions within tra where this is a possibility. These observations are compared with those obtained recently with a related plasmid.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thatte
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Iyer
mesh_terms: D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010957:Plasmids; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004274:DNA, Recombinant