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Journal of Bacteriology, April 2002, p. 2235-2242, Vol. 184, No. 8
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.8.2235-2242.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Gene Transfer between Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium inside Epithelial Cells

Gayle C. Ferguson,1 Jack A. Heinemann,1,2* and Martin A. Kennedy3

Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences, University of Canterbury,1 Department of Pathology, Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch, New Zealand,3 Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology, Tromsø, Norway2

Received 5 November 2001/ Accepted 16 January 2002

Virulence and antibiotic resistance genes transfer between bacteria by bacterial conjugation. Conjugation also mediates gene transfer from bacteria to eukaryotic organisms, including yeast and human cells. Predicting when and where genes transfer by conjugation could enhance our understanding of the risks involved in the release of genetically modified organisms, including those being developed for use as vaccines. We report here that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium conjugated inside cultured human cells. The DNA transfer from donor to recipient bacteria was proportional to the probability that the two types of bacteria occupied the same cell, which was dependent on viable and invasive bacteria and on plasmid tra genes. Based on the high frequencies of gene transfer between bacteria inside human cells, we suggest that such gene transfers occur in situ. The implications of gene transfer between bacteria inside human cells, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance, are discussed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. Phone: 643 364 2926. Fax: 643 364 2083. E-mail: j.heinemann{at}pams.canterbury.ac.nz.

Journal of Bacteriology, April 2002, p. 2235-2242, Vol. 184, No. 8
0021-9193/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.184.8.2235-2242.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Lim, Y. M., de Groof, A. J. C., Bhattacharjee, M. K., Figurski, D. H., Schon, E. A. (2008). Bacterial Conjugation in the Cytoplasm of Mouse Cells. Infect. Immun. 76: 5110-5119 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Garcia-Quintanilla, M., Ramos-Morales, F., Casadesus, J. (2008). Conjugal Transfer of the Salmonella enterica Virulence Plasmid in the Mouse Intestine. J. Bacteriol. 190: 1922-1927 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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