Salmonella Escherichia hybrids

Historical account on gaining insights on the mechanism of crown gall tumorigenesis induced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The plant tumor disease known as crown gall was not called by that name until more recent times. Galls on plants were described by Malpighi (1679) who believed that these extraordinary growth are spontaneously produced. Agrobacterium was first isolated from tumors in 1897 by Fridiano Cavara in Napoli, Italy. After this bacterium was recognized to be the cause of crown gall disease, questions were raised on the mechanism by which it caused tumors on a variety of plants. Numerous very detailed studies led to the identification of Agrobacterium tumefaciens as the causal bacterium that cleverly transferred a genetic principle to plant host cells and integrated it into their chromosomes. Such studies have led to a variety of sophisticated mechanisms used by this organism to aid in its survival against competing microorganisms. Knowledge gained from these fundamental discoveries has opened many avenues for researchers to examine their primary organisms of study for similar mechanisms of pathogenesis in both plants and animals. These discoveries also advanced the genetic engineering of domesticated plants for improved food and fiber.

Genetic recombination betweenKlebsiella pneumoniaeandEnterobacter aerogenes

Intergeneric recombination of chromosomal genes between strains ofKlebsiella pneumoniaeandEnterobacter aerogeneshas been observed. In these experiments a male strain ofK. pneumoniaeacted as donor andE. aerogenesacted as recipient. Closely linked genes were co-transferred with very high frequency, and transfer of a large fragment carrying several separated genes was not uncommon. Subcultures of a hybrid which had received a large fragment carrying five markers were tested for genetic stability; no spontaneous segregants were found among 34000 colonies tested. These results suggest that the transferred fragment had been integrated, and indicate the close genetic relationship betweenK. pneumoniaeandE. aerogenes. This is in agreement with their very similar biochemical properties.

Episomic suppression of phenotype in Salmonella

1. An auxotroph of Salmonella typhimurium, pro-401, was isolated in a strain that was unstable at the su-leuA locus. The auxotrophy of pro-401 is probably due to the attachment of a controlling episome to the proline region of the genome where it suppresses gene expression.

2. The controlling episome frequently transposes over short distances so that all clones consist of cells, mixed for the site at which the controlling episome is attached; homologous transductions yield prototrophs.

3. The controlling episome can transpose to a different complementation group; homologous transductions yield abortive transductants; syntrophism occurs between cells that are ‘mutant’ in different complementation groups to give reversions consisting entirely of auxotrophic cells which are called auxotrophic reversions.

4. The controlling episome transposes over very short distances and never to beyond the limits of this proline region of the genome; no wild-type reversions were found.

5. The controlling episome can be located at relatively distant proline sites in different clones; prototrophs from transductions between clones that are separated by many subculturings can be 100 times more frequent than from homologous transductions.

6. The controlling episome has its frequency of transposition to different complementation groups increased by UV; irradiation increases the frequency of auxotrophic reversions.

7. The controlling episome continues to transpose in stored cells.

8. The pattern of reversions of pro-401 is different in these studies from its pattern two years previously. This is discussed.

GENETIC HOMOLOGY BETWEEN ESCHERICHIA COLI K-12 AND SALMONELLA

Falkow, Stanley (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), Robert Rownd, and L. S. Baron. Genetic homology between Escherichia coli K-12 and Salmonella. J. Bacteriol. 84:1303-1312. 1962.-Recombinant analysis and interrupted mating procedures, in conjunction with molecular hybridization experiments, demonstrated that the genetic homology between Escherichia and Salmonella is incomplete. The most likely explanation of this incomplete homology is imperfect pairing between the deoxyribonucleic acid molecules of the two species. Despite the inhomologies, there is ample evidence that the order and distance of the genetic characters on the Salmonella chromosome are identical to those of Escherichia.

ALTERATIONS IN THE MOUSE VIRULENCE OF SALMONELLA TYPHIMURIUM BY GENETIC RECOMBINATION

Krishnapillai, V. (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, D.C.), and L. S. Baron. Alterations in the mouse virulence of Salmonella typhimurium by genetic recombination. J. Bacteriol. 87:598-605. 1964.-The genetic basis of mouse virulence was investigated with an avirulent strain of Salmonella abony as chromosomal donor and a virulent strain of S. typhimurium as recipient in recombination experiments. In these genetic crosses, the transfer of partial avirulence was found to segregate among the hybrids that were examined. At least two determinants controlling avirulence were depicted to account for the partial avirulence of the hybrids. One of these determinants is indicated as being in the region of the locus for streptomycin sensitivity or resistance, and the other was adjacent to the locus for inositol utilization. Moreover, both determinants were essential for the phenotypic expression of complete avirulence in a hybrid. This was established by the results of experiments in which an initial, partially avirulent hybrid was backcrossed with the S. abony donor so that it further received the additional determinant.

Recognition of an Escherichia operator by a Salmonella repressor

Escherichia coli leu(+) episomes were transferred to Salmonella typhimurium. The levels of two leucine-forming enzymes were normal (low) in the resulting merodiploids, suggesting that the putative Samonella leucine repressor recognizes the Escherichia leucine operator.

Drug resistance of enteric bacteria. VI. Introduction of bacteriophage P1CM into Salmonella typhi and formation of PldCM and F-CM elements

Kondo, Eiko (Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan), and Susumu Mitsuhashi. Drug resistance of enteric bacteria. VI. Introduction of bacteriophage P1CM into Salmonella typhi and formation of P1dCM and F-CM elements. J. Bacteriol. 91:1787-1794. 1966.-Bacteriophage P1CM was introduced into Salmonella typhi by means of both phage infection and conjugation with Escherichia coli F(+) lysogenic for the phage. Upon incubation with a P1CM phage lysate, S. typhi and S. abony yield CM(r) cells which are lysogenic for P1CM, but S. typhimurium LT2 does not. The P1CM phage is adsorbed slightly to S. typhi, but no infectious centers are formed when the phage is plated on this strain. Tests on P1CM-adsorbing capacity of the S. typhi P1CM(+) strain and on plaque formation and transduction ability of the recovered phage from this strain indicated that the cell and the phage population did not have any special advantage over the original cell and phage population. Conjugation of S. typhi with E. coli F(+) carrying P1CM(+) gave three types of S. typhi CM(r) clones: those which carry the whole P1CM phage, those with the P1dCM element, and those with nontransferable CM(r). The second type has the F factor and is sensitive to f phages in spite of its typical behavior, serologically and biochemically, as S. typhi. It can donate the P1dCM and F(+) characters to E. coli F(-) or F(-)/P1 strains. As a consequence of conjugation with the E. coli F(+) strain, the CM(r) character of the third type of S. typhi, the nontransferable CM(r) element, acquired conjugational transferability, owing to the formation of the element, F-CM. This element can be transferred to an E. coli F(-) strain at a very high frequency (ca. 10(0)). Both the F and CM(r) determinants are jointly transduced with P1 phage and are jointly eliminated by acridine dye treatment.

Mutagen-induced hybridization of Salmonella typhimurium LT2 X Escherichia coli K12 Hfr

Images

INTERSPECIFIC TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS

Marmur , J. (Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.), E. Seaman, and J. Levine . Interspecific transformation in Bacillus . J. Bacteriol. 85: 461–467. 1963.—Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) from various species of the taxonomic group Bacillaceae were examined for base composition, ability to carry out interspecific transformation, and formation of molecular hybrids in vitro. The minimal requirement for genetic compatibility among different species and for DNA interaction (both reflecting base sequence homologies) is the similarity of the guanine plus cytosine contents of the DNA. The close correlation between the ability of DNA to be competent in interspecific transformation and to form hybrid molecules on denaturation and annealing provided a rational approach to the study of genetic relationship among organisms for which no genetic exchange has yet been demonstrated. Any or all of the criteria (base composition of DNA, transformation, molecular hybrid formation) can be used as tools in the taxonomic assessment of closely related microorganisms.