Identification of SCP2165, a new SCP2-derived plasmid of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).
OBJECTIVE
Characterization of SCP2165, a plasmid identified in the Gram-positive bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).


RESULTS
Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of mycelia of a S. coelicolor strain embedded in low melting agarose revealed the presence of a plasmid. Restriction enzyme mapping and sequence analysis of a 2.1 kb fragment revealed that this plasmid could be SCP2. SCP2 and its spontaneous derivative SCP2* are self-transmissible plasmids and have chromosome mobilizing ability (c.m.a.). SCP2* has a c. 1000-fold increased c.m.a. compared with SCP2. Interestingly the plasmid, named SCP2165, shows a c.m.a. from 5x10(-2) to 1x10(-1) which is 50-100-fold higher than that described for crosses involving SCP2*.


CONCLUSIONS
SCP2165 is a SCP2 derivative plasmid with the highest c.m.a. so far described for SCP2 derivative plasmids. PFGE, under conditions we used, seems to be a fast way to identify large circular plasmids in Streptomyces strains.


CONCLUSIONS
Further knowledge of the SCP2 family may allow the construction of improved SCP2-derived cloning vectors. SCP2165 could be a potential tool for conjugational transfer of gene clusters between different Streptomyces species.
Marineo
S
S
Department of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Viale delle Scienze, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. smarineo@unipa.it
Lecat
E
E
Cusimano
M G
MG
Giardina
A
A
Di Caro
V
V
Puglia
A M
AM
D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D010957:Plasmids; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D048372:Streptomyces coelicolor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology