title: A new site-specific integration system for mycobacteria.
abstract: Site-specific integration into the mycobacterial chromosome can produce stable transformants useful for understanding pathogenesis. However, gene expression can be problematic at certain sites of integration. We have used the Streptomyces phiC31 integration system to integrate vector DNA into Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. bovis BCG, and M. tuberculosis through site-specific recombination. A single dominant insertion site was found in M. smegmatis, as previously reported. Three different insertion sites were found in M. bovis BCG. In M. smegmatis, integrated vectors appear to be far more stable than episomal plasmids during unselected passage in vitro, although excision products are detectable. Plasmids based on the phiC31 integration system could make useful tools for the study of mycobacterial genetics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murry
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sassetti
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed / Q000379:methods*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000235:genetics; D020102:Mycobacterium smegmatis / Q000235:genetics; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine