Transposon-facilitated recombination in Vibrio cholerae

Abstract

Improved Vibrio cholerae donors were constructed by introducing the ampicillin transposon, Tn1, into both the conjugative plasmid, P, and the bacterial chromosome to provide "portable regions of homology." The resulting Tfr (Transposon-facilitated recombination) donors transferred genes at high frequency from origins specified by the chromosomally inserted Tn1 copies. Tn1 was transposed into the chromosome from a deleted P::Tn1 vector, which was eliminated from the cells by superinfection with a thermosensitive P::Tn9 (chloramphenicol) mutant plasmid. After eliminating the thermosensitive plasmid, the chromosomally resistant isolates were converted into donors with a P::Tn1 conjugative plasmid. Tfr donors were also obtained by isolating Tn1 insertion mutations in a gene for thymine biosynthesis. Chromosomal sites of Tn1 relative to bacterial genes were determined by measuring gene transfer frequencies and genetic linkage. In one case, linkage of the amp gene to the chromosomal genes that defined its location was demonstrated. Chromosomal transfer by Tfr donors was reversed by isolating P::Tn1 plasmids that contained Tn1 inserted in the opposite orientation.