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Journal of Bacteriology, October 1999, p. 5976-5983, Vol. 181, No. 19
Departments of
Genetics1 and
Medicine,2 Stanford University School of
Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5120
Received 2 April 1999/Accepted 30 June 1999
SLP1int is a 17.2-kb genetic element that
normally is integrated site specifically into the chromosome of
Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). The imp operon
within SLP1int represses replication of both
chromosomally integrated and extrachromosomal SLP1. During mating with
S. lividans, SLP1int can excise,
delete part of imp, and form a family of autonomously replicating conjugative plasmids. Earlier work has shown that impA and impC gene products act in concert to
control plasmid maintenance and regulate their own transcription. Here
we report that these imp genes act also on a second
promoter, Popimp (promoter opposite
imp), located adjacent to, and initiating transcription divergent from, imp to regulate loci involved in the
intramycelial transfer of SLP1 plasmids. spdB1 and
spdB2, two overlapping genes immediately 3' to
Popimp and directly regulated by
imp, are shown by Tn5 mutagenesis to control
transfer-associated growth inhibition (i.e., pocking). Additional genes
resembling transfer genes of other Streptomyces spp.
plasmids and required for SLP1 transfer and/or postconjugal
intramycelial spread are located more distally to
Popimp. Expression of impA and
impC in an otherwise competent recipient strain prevented
SLP1-mediated gene transfer of chromosomal and plasmid genes but not
plasmid-independent chromosome-mobilizing activity, suggesting that
information transduced to recipients after the formation of mating
pairs affects imp activity. Taken together with earlier
evidence that the imp operon regulates SLP1 DNA
replication, the results reported here implicate imp in the
overall regulation of functions related to the extrachromosomal state
of SLP1.
0021-9193/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Regulation of Transfer Functions by the
imp Locus of the Streptomyces coelicolor
Plasmidogenic Element SLP1

and
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
94305-5120. Phone: (650) 723-5315. Fax: (650) 725-1536. E-mail:
address: sncohen{at}stanford.edu.
Present address: 57 Ave. Saint-Laurent, 91400 Orsay, France.
Present address: Life Technologies, Inc., Rockville, MD
20850-3321.
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