title: Conjugative transfer facilitates stable maintenance of IncP-1 plasmid pKJK5 in Escherichia coli cells colonizing the gastrointestinal tract of the germfree rat.
abstract: Quantitative determination of IncP-1 plasmid loss from Escherichia coli cells colonizing the gastrointestinal tracts of germfree rats was achieved by flow cytometry. Results show that the plasmid's ability to conjugate counteracts plasmid loss and is thus an important mechanism for the stable maintenance of IncP-1 plasmids within the gastrointestinal environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83H, DK-1307 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
authors.forename: Martin Iain
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Bahl
authors.forename: Lars Hestbjerg
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Tine Rask
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Licht
authors.forename: Søren J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins