[Translocation of ampicillin transposon Tn1 in Escherichia coli cells during sexual reproduction]

Abstract

The efficiency of Tn1 transposition has been shown to increase considerably in course of bacterial conjugation. Usually, the frequency of Tn1 transposition from plasmid pSA2001, a derivative of RP4, into the chromosome never exceeded 0.1% per cell. Percentage of His+ transconjugants, marked by transposon Tn1 during conjugation between Hfr donor, carrying plasmid pSA2001, and auxotrophic recipient, was about 30%. Transposon Tn1 transfer into the recipient cells does not depend on the recA+ gene function in donor cells or on conjugative transfer of plasmid pSA2001. The transfer requires the recA+ gene function in recipients as well as the Hfr function in donor cells. Southern's blot-hybridization revealed the insertion of transposon Tn1 into the different sites of the chromosome of His+ transconjugants. The transposon inserted during conjugation retains the ability to potential further translocation into new sites on the chromosomal DNA.