The specific growth rate of Pseudomonas putida PAW1 influences the conjugal transfer rate of the TOL plasmid.
The kinetics of the conjugal transfer of a TOL plasmid were investigated by using Pseudomonas putida PAW1 as the donor strain and P. aeruginosa PAO 1162 as the recipient strain. Short-term batch mating experiments were performed in a nonselective medium, while the evolution of the different cell types was determined by selective plating techniques. The experimental data were analyzed by using a mass action model that describes plasmid transfer kinetics. This method allowed analysis of the mating experiments by a single intrinsic kinetic parameter for conjugal plasmid transfer. Further results indicated that the specific growth rate of the donor strain antecedent to the mating experiment had a strong impact on the measured intrinsic plasmid transfer rate coefficient, which ranged from 1 x 10(-14) to 5 x 10(-13) ml per cell per min. Preliminary analysis suggested that the transfer rates of the TOL plasmid are large enough to maintain the TOL plasmid in a dense microbial community without selective pressures.
Smets
B F
BF
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
Rittmann
B E
BE
Stahl
D A
DA
D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D007700:Kinetics; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics; D016958:Pseudomonas putida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*