title: Identification of a novel DNA element that promotes cell-to-cell transformation in Escherichia coli.
abstract: Recently, we discovered a novel phenomenon, "cell-to-cell transformation" by which non-conjugative plasmids are transmitted horizontally in co-cultures of Escherichia coli F(-) strains. In this study, we aimed to identify the DNA element responsible for the high cell-to-cell transformability of pHSG299. By transplanting pHSG299 DNA fragments into pHSG399, a plasmid showing low transformability, we discovered that a specific 88 bp fragment of pHSG299 significantly promoted pHSG399 transformability. Although several short motif-like repetitive sequences (6-10 bp) were present in the 88 bp sequence, no known DNA motifs were recognized, suggesting that this 88 bp sequence (cell-to-cell transformation promoting sequence, CTPS; Accession number: AB634455) is a novel DNA element.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Nara Women's University, Kitauoya-Nishimachi, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sobue
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurono
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Etchuya
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial