GENE TRANSFER BY F' STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI K-12. II. INTERACTION BETWEEN F-MEROGENOTE AND CHROMOSOME DURING TRANSFER

Abstract

Pittard, James (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.) and Edward A. Adelberg. Gene transfer by F' strains of Escherichia coli K-12. II. Interaction between F-merogenote and chromosome during transfer. J. Bacteriol. 85:1402-1408. 1963.-When F' strains harboring the F-merogenate F(14) are mated with female recipients, the transfer of the F-merogenote begins, in the majority of cases, before chromosome transfer. The markers on F(14) are transferred in the sequence met-1, arg-1, ilva-16, and sex-factor, met-1 being transferred first and sex-factor being transferred last, 9 min after met-1. In the class of zygotes that have received both the F-merogenote marker met-1 and the chromosomal marker xyl or mal, the gradient of recombination frequencies for the F-merogenote markers arg-1 and ilva-16 is much steeper than in the corresponding zygotes that have not received chromosomal markers. In F' strains which exhibit an increased frequency of transfer of chromosome markers, this gradient of recombination frequencies for merogenote markers is much steeper. An analysis of experiments involving an F' strain with a much shorter F-merogenote, F(16), and of a triparental mating in which F-merogenote and chromosome were transferred from different donor cells reveals that the effect of chromosome transfer on the recovery of distal F-merogenote markers in the zygotes is not due to any form of postzygotic elimination. It is suggested that, when F' strains which are transferring F-merogenote begin to transfer chromosome, the latter event causes breakage of the F-merogenote. A second consequence of this interaction is a delay of 8 to 10 min in the first appearance of chromosomal markers in the zygotes.