title: Transformation of Rickettsia prowazekii to erythromycin resistance encoded by the Escherichia coli ereB gene.
abstract: Rickettsia prowazekii, the etiologic agent of epidemic typhus, is an obligate, intracytoplasmic, parasitic bacterium. Recently, the transformation of this bacterium via electroporation has been reported. However, in these studies identification of transformants was dependent upon either selection of an R. prowazekii rpoB chromosomal mutation imparting rifampin resistance or expression of the green fluorescent protein and flow cytometric analysis. In this paper we describe the expression in R. prowazekii of the Escherichia coli ereB gene. This gene codes for an erythromycin esterase that cleaves erythromycin. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the expression of a nonrickettsial, antibiotic-selectable gene in R. prowazekii. The availability of a positive selection for rickettsial transformants is an important step in the characterization of genetic analysis systems in the rickettsiae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, Alabama 36688, USA.
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Rachek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hines
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D018274:Electroporation; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005819:Genetic Markers; D051379:Mice; D012283:Rickettsia prowazekii / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005819:Genetic Markers; D004917:Erythromycin; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C046388:erythromycin esterase