title: [Characterization of a mariner transposon pKKma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed at sequence analysis and function annotation of plasmid pKKma carrying a mariner transposon.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primers were designed based on the partial known sequence and used for directly sequencing plasmid pKKma. Transposon mutagenesis libraries were constructed to analyze the mutagenesis efficiency of plasmid pKKma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  pKKma comprises 6879 bp with 7 open reading frames (ORFs). Among them, ORF6 encodes a mariner transposase of 348 amino acids (aa), a C9 variant of Himar1 type transposase. Two inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) are identified and of 27 bp each. ORF7 encodes gentamycin resistance gene aacC1, locating between two ITRs. Transposable sequence alignment with other mariner transposons shows that the coverage is 2.0% -47.7% and the homology is 3.2% to 99.7%. The result indicates pKKma is significantly different from the other vectors with mariner transposon. The transposition efficiency is also analyzed. It's (3.1 x 10(-4)) - (4.8 x 10(-4)) for S. marcascens and (1.3 x 10(-3)) - (1.7 x 10(-3)) for C. freundii, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  pKKma carries a new mariner transposon and could be used to study the role of genes by constructing transposon libraries in bacteria.
authors.forename: Cuikun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Litao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hongjiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Key
mesh_terms: D016971:Citrobacter freundii / Q000235:genetics*; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000235:genetics*; D019895:Transposases / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C111652:mariner transposases; D019895:Transposases