title: Suggestions as to quantitative measurements of plasmid loss.
abstract: Suggestions are made for the estimation of plasmid loss rates in bacterial populations that multiply by binary fission. The plasmid loss rate is defined as the probability of a division of a plasmid-carrying individual giving birth to one plasmid-free and one plasmid-carrying daughter cell. The unit of time is consequently the interdivision time for plasmid-carrying individuals. The cautions that have to be taken when the population is cultivated in serial transfer (the usual stability experiment) are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark. lb@im.dtu.dk
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boe
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D008432:Mathematical Computing; D008957:Models, Genetic; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*