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 Harris-Warrick, R M Articles by Lederberg, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harris-Warrick, R M Articles by Lederberg, J

Interspecies transformation in Bacillus: sequence heterology as the major barrier.

ABSTRACT

The relative contribution of DNA restriction and of sequence heterology as barriers to interspecies transfer of DNA was studied in the heterologous transformation of Bacillus subtilis recipients by DNA was studied in the heterologous transformation of Bacillus subtilis recipients by DNA isolated from B. globigii. Transformants were obtained at very low frequencies in the evolutionarily nonconserved aromatic region; high cotransfer of linked markers was observed. New mutations were introduced into the B. globigii intergenote sequence in the resulting hybrids; these markers could be transformed with high efficiency by both B. globigii and B. subtilis DNA, representing a 10(5)-fold increase in heterologous transforming efficiency. A restriction activity in B. globigii crude extracts inactivated the biological activity of B. subtilis and hybrid DNA but not B. globigii DNA in vitro, demonstrating different sites for restriction and modification between these species. In vivo, however, B. globigii and hybrid DNA transformed the B. globigii sequence in a hybrid recipient with the same efficiency. These results show that sequence heterology is the major barrier to interspecies transformation and that, in this system, enzymatic restriction does not prevent interspecies transformation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Zahrt, T. C., Maloy, S. (1997). Barriers to recombination between closely related bacteria: MutS and RecBCD inhibit recombination between Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella typhi. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94: 9786-9791 [Abstract] [Full Text]