New approach to the genetics of Streptomyces coelicolor

Abstract

Sermonti, G. (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy), Milena Bandiera, and Isabella Spada-Sermonti. New approach to the genetics of Streptomyces coelicolor. J. Bacteriol. 91:384-392. 1966.-Mixed cultures of complementary auxotrophic strains of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) were preincubated on discs of cellophane on complete medium and were then transferred onto selective media. When one strain was streptomycin-resistant and the other was streptomycin-sensitive, and the transfer medium contained streptomycin, distinct minute tufts of aerial mycelium appeared on the background growth of the mixed culture. They turned out to be heterozygous clones (heteroclones) in which the streptomycin-sensitive allele was, as a rule, missing. The pattern of marker contribution of the streptomycin-sensitive parent to the zygotes was indicative of a continuous structure carrying the hereditary material. A gradual transfer of the donor genome during conjugation was suggested by the progressive completion of the zygotes obtained by increasing preincubation time.