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Transformation and Transduction in Recombination-defective Mutants of Bacillus subtilis

Laboratoire de Génétique Physiologique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

ABSTRACT

The effects on transformation and transduction of an ultraviolet sensitivity (uvr^–) and two ultraviolet sensitivity-recombination deficiency (rec-1^– and rec-2^–) mutations in isogenic strains of Bacillus subtilis were investigated. Transformation frequency in the rec-1^– and rec-2^– strains was reduced to approximately 5 and 25%, respectively, of the parental strains. Normal kinetics of deoxyribonucleic acid dose response in transformation were found for the rec-1⁺ and rec-2^– strains. Biphasic curves were obtained with the rec-1^– strains. Transduction frequency with bacteriophage SP-10 decreased parallel to transformation frequency in the rec-1^– and rec-2^– strains. This result suggests that transformation and SP-10 transduction share a common mechanism for genetic recombination. It also indicates that the reduction in transformation frequency of these strains was not due to altered competence. Transduction frequency with bacteriophage PBS-1 or 3NT, on the contrary, was not diminished in rec-1^– strains. This frequency was reduced in rec-2^– strains but not as severely as that of transformation or SP-10 transduction. Several hypotheses to interpret these differences are presented. Recombination frequency between linked markers was reduced more than 50% in transformation by the presence of the rec-1^– mutation. Linkage was unaffected in the rec-2^– strains. Neither the rec-1^– nor the rec-2^– mutation had an effect on linkage in PBS-1 or 3NT transduction. The uvr^– strains were transformed at a frequency equal to or greater than that of the parental strains. These strains were transduced by all bacteriophage systems at frequencies about twofold higher than those of parental strains.

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