title: Use of a non-selective transformation technique to construct a multiply restriction/modification-deficient mutant of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
abstract: A technique that allows for easy identification of transformants of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the absence of selective pressure has been developed. A suicide vector that contains a gonococcal DNA uptake sequence was constructed to aid in DNA uptake. In this transformation procedure, a limiting number of cells is incubated with an excess amount of DNA, and the mixture is plated onto a non-selective medium. At least 20% of the resulting colonies contained cells that had been transformed. This strategy was utilized to construct specific deletions of the S.N goI, II, IV, V and VII restriction-modification (R/M) genes. All five deletions were successfully incorporated into the chromosome of FA19, producing strain JUG029. Strain JUG029 could be transformed with non-methylated plasmid DNA while strain FA19 could not be transformed with such DNA. The development of a simple, non-selective transformation technique, coupled with the construction of a strain that is more permissive for DNA-mediated transformation, will aid in genetic manipulations of the gonococcus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park 20742, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015257:DNA-Cytosine Methylases; D015252:Deoxyribonucleases, Type II Site-Specific