title: Conjugal transfer of broad-host-range incompatibility group P and Q plasmids from Escherichia coli to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans.
abstract: The first example of conjugal transfer of DNA from Escherichia coli to the periodontal pathogen Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is presented. Derivatives of the incompatibility group P (IncP) plasmid RK2 successfully transferred from an E. coli donor to an A. actinomycetemcomitans recipient. The resulting A. actinomycetemcomitans transconjugants transferred the plasmids back to E. coli recipients. The IncP transfer functions were also used in trans to mobilize the IncQ plasmid pBK1 from E. coli to A. actinomycetemcomitans. The IncP and IncQ plasmids both transferred into A. actinomycetemcomitans at high frequencies (0.3 to 0.5 transconjugants per donor) and showed no gross deletions, insertions, or rearrangements. Determinations of MICs of various antibiotics for the A. actinomycetemcomitans transconjugant strains demonstrated the expression of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and kanamycin resistance determinants.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral Infectious Diseases, School of Dental and Oral Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goncharoff
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schreiner
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Furgang
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Figurski
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Fine
mesh_terms: D016976:Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010957:Plasmids