Plasmid copy number and stability determination in Clostridium perfringens transformants

Steven P. Allen, Hans P. Blaschek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The copy number of the streptococcal plasmid pAMβ1 (26.5 kb), and its deletion derivatives, pVA1 (11 kb) and pVA677 (7.6 kb) contained in Clostridium perfringens 3624A transformants was determined by incorporation of [methyl-3-H]thymidine (4 μCi/ml) into chromosomal and plasmid DNA and sizing of the C. perfringens genome using transverse alternating field electrophoresis. Plasmids pAMβ1, pVA1, and pVA677 were found to be present at 1.0, 97, and 216 copies/cell, respectively, 10.2, 54, and 96% of the initial pAMβ1-, pVA1- and pVA677-containing transformants, respectively, remained resistant to erythromycin over 220 generations of growth. The results indicate a size-dependent relationship between plasmid stability and plasmid copy number in C. perfringens.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)323-327
Number of pages5
JournalFEMS microbiology letters
Volume72
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1990

Keywords

  • Genome size
  • Plasmid copy number
  • Plasmid stability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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