title: Characterization of plasmid pAW63, a second self-transmissible plasmid in Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki HD73.
abstract: Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki HD73, toxic for lepidopteran larvae, contains two large self-transmissible plasmids of approximately 75 kb, pHT73 and pAW63. The conjugative plasmid pHT73 has been studied extensively and has been shown to harbour the toxin gene cry1Ac, the transposon Tn4430 and several insertion sequences. In this study it was demonstrated that the minor plasmid pAW63 is also self-transmissible and about 10-30 times more efficient in mobilizing plasmid pBC16. To facilitate direct selection for pAW63 transfer, the plasmid was tagged with the tetracycline resistance transposon Tn5401 and in intraspecies matings it was found that after 2 h, all recipients had acquired a copy of the plasmid. Mating experiments demonstrated that pAW63 could be transferred to Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus sphaericus, and that the conjugative functions were expressed in these hosts. Hybridization studies showed that the replicons of pAW63 and pHT73 were distinct from one another. Sequences homologous to transposon Tn4430 and several insertion sequences were, however, shown to reside on both plasmids.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Lersø Parkallé105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilcks
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Lersø Parkallé105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jayaswal
authors.affiliation: Unité de Biochimie Microbienne, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, F-75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lereclus
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Lersø Parkallé105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andrup
mesh_terms: D001407:Bacillus / Q000235:genetics; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics*; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D018274:Electroporation; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements