This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Yasbin, R E Articles by Young, F E Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Yasbin, R E Articles by Young, F E

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1975 January; 121(1): 296-304

Transformation and transfection in lysogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis: evidence for selective induction of prophage in competent cells.

ABSTRACT

Lysogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis 168 were reduced in their level of transformation as compared to non-lysogenic strains. The level of transformation decreased even further if the competent lysogenic cells were allowed to incubate in growth media prior to selection on minimal agar. This reduction in the frequency of transformation was attributable to the selective elimination of transformed lysogenic cells from the competent population. Concurrent with the decrease in the number of transformants from a lysogenic competent population was the release of bacteriophage by these cells. The lysogenic bacteria demonstrated this dramatic release of bacteriophage only if the cells were grown to competence. Both the selective elimination of transformed lysogens and the induction of prophage was prevented by the inhibition of protein synthesis. Additionally, competent lysogenic cells released significantly higher amounts of exogenous donor transforming deoxyribonucleic acid than did competent non-lysogenic cells or competent lysogenic cells incubated with erythromycin. These data establish that the induction of the prophage from the competent lysogenic cells was responsible for the selective elmination of the lysogenic transformants. A model is presented that accounts for the induction of the prophage from competent lysogenic bacteria via the induction of a repair system. It is postulated that a repair system is induced or derepressed by the accumulation of gaps in the chromosomes of competent bacteria. This hypothetical enzyme(s) is ultimately responsible for the induction of the prophage and the selective elimination of transformants.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Ross, C., Pybus, C., Pedraza-Reyes, M., Sung, H.-M., Yasbin, R. E., Robleto, E. (2006). Novel Role of mfd: Effects on Stationary-Phase Mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7512-7520 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhu, T., Pan, Z., Domagalski, N., Koepsel, R., Ataai, M. M., Domach, M. M. (2005). Engineering of Bacillus subtilis for Enhanced Total Synthesis of Folic Acid. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 7122-7129 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tindbaek, N., Svendsen, A., Oestergaard, P. R., Draborg, H. (2004). Engineering a substrate-specific cold-adapted subtilisin. Protein Eng Des Sel 17: 149-156 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jensen, C. L., Stephenson, K., Jørgensen, S. T., Harwood, C. (2000). Cell-associated degradation affects the yield of secreted engineered and heterologous proteins in the Bacillus subtilis expression system. Microbiology 146: 2583-2594 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sung, H.-M., Yasbin, R. E. (2000). Transient Growth Requirement in Bacillus subtilis following the Cessation of Exponential Growth. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1220-1222 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Jorgensen, S., Vorgias, C. E., Antranikian, G. (1997). Cloning, Sequencing, Characterization, and Expression of an Extracellular alpha -Amylase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus in Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 16335-16342 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Llull, D., Garcia, E., Lopez, R. (2001). Tts, a Processive beta -Glucosyltransferase of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Directs the Synthesis of the Branched Type 37 Capsular Polysaccharide in Pneumococcus and Other Gram-positive Species. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 21053-21061 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Li, Z., Piggot, P. J. (2001). Development of a two-part transcription probe to determine the completeness of temporal and spatial compartmentalization of gene expression during bacterial development. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98: 12538-12543 [Abstract] [Full Text]