title: Targeted disruption of the PD78 gene (traF) reduces pheromone-inducible conjugal transfer of the bacteriocin plasmid pPD1 in Enterococcus faecalis.
abstract: Bacterial sex pheromone, cPD1, induces sexual aggregation of Enterococcus faecalis harboring the bacteriocin plasmid, pPD1, and enables pPD1 to transfer at high frequency in a liquid culture. PD78 is a cPD1-inducible cell surface protein encoded by pPD1. The PD78 gene, traF, was disrupted by homologous recombination between pPD1 and an artificial vector having a deletion in the middle portion of traF. The disruption of traF did not affect the cPD1-inducible aggregation but reduced the transfer frequency of pPD1 to 2% of the wild-type level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Clewell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001430:Bacteriocins / Q000235:genetics*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D010675:Pheromones / Q000494:pharmacology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001430:Bacteriocins; D010675:Pheromones; C064923:TraF protein, Enterococcus faecalis