Genetic recombination between Proteus mirabilis and Providencia alcalifaciens

Journal of General Microbiology
J N Coetzee, A M Kruger

Abstract

Chromosome transfer occurred in plate matings between Proteus mirabilis strain PM5006 and Providencia alcalifaciens strain P29 in either direction with the use of plasmid D or R772 as sex factor. Auxotrophic chromosomal markers of recipients were converted to prototrophy and the galactose fermentation marker of donor PM5006 could also be selected. Recombination frequencies for a group of selected markers in PM5006(D) x P29 matings varied between 3 x 10(-5) (trp+) and 1.2 x 10(-7) (lys+) per donor. In the reverse cross, plasmid D mobilized markers on the P29 chromosome randomly with a recombination frequency of about 1.7 x 10(-7) per donor for all selected P29 markers. R772 produced random mobilization of markers on both chromosomes yielding recombinants at a frequency of about 1.8 x 10(-7) per donor. Unselected markers separated by no more than about 10 min from selected markers on the PM5006 chromosome were cotransferred from P29 by both plasmids. Despite the low degree of DNA homology existing between the two species, all hybrids behaved as stable haploids. Progeny from P29(D or R772) x PM5006 auxotroph matings displayed similar sets of naturally occurring P29 unselected markers irrespective of the selected prototroph allele....Continue Reading

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