title: The maintenance of Plasmid-containing organisms in populations of Escherichia coli.
abstract: Populations of Escherichia coli containing a small non-conjugative plasmid were grown in carbon-limited continuous culture. For all plasmids tested the presence of the plasmid lowered the growth rate of the host bacterium, and the proportion of plasmid-containing organisms in the total population declined initially. However, periodically, adaptive changes occurred in plasmid-containing organisms which increased their growth rate. This resulted in oscillations in the proportion of plasmid-containing organisms, and the delayed loss of the plasmid from the population.
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D010957:Plasmids
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media