This Article Full Text 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 Yang, H.-Y. Articles by Chang, H.-I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Yang, H.-Y. Articles by Chang, H.-I.

Construction of an Integration-Proficient Vector Based on the Site-Specific Recombination Mechanism of Enterococcal Temperate Phage FC1

Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University, Sungbuk-ku, Seoul, Korea

Received 4 June 2001/ Accepted 1 January 2002

The genome of temperate phage FC1 integrates into the chromosome of Enterococcus faecalis KBL 703 via site-specific recombination. In this study, an integration vector containing the attP site and putative integrase gene mj1 of phage FC1 was constructed. A 2,744-bp fragment which included the attP site and mj1 was inserted into a pUC19 derivative containing the cat gene to construct pEMJ1-1. E. faecalis KBL 707, which does not contain the bacteriophage but which has a putative attB site within its genome, could be transformed by pEMJ1-1. Southern hybridization, PCR amplification, and DNA sequencing revealed that pEMJ1-1 was integrated specifically at the putative attB site within the E. faecalis KBL 707 chromosome. This observation suggested that the 2,744-bp fragment carrying mj1 and the attP site of phage FC1 was sufficient for site-specific recombination and that pEMJ1-1 could be used as a site-specific integration vector. The transformation efficiency of pEMJ1-1 was as high as 6 x 10³ transformants/µg of DNA. In addition, a vector (pATTB1) containing the 290-bp attB region was constructed. pATTB1 was transformed into Escherichia coli containing a derivative of the pET14b vector carrying attP and mj1. This resulted in the formation of chimeric plasmids by site-specific recombination between the cloned attB and attP sequences. The results indicate that the integration vector system based on the site-specific recombination mechanism of phage FC1 can be used for genetic engineering in E. faecalis and in other hosts.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Chen, L., Woo, S. L. C. (2005). Complete and persistent phenotypic correction of phenylketonuria in mice by site-specific genome integration of murine phenylalanine hydroxylase cDNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 15581-15586 [Abstract] [Full Text]