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A Bacteriophage λ Cohesive Ends (cos) DNA Fragment Enhances the Fitness of Plasmid-Containing Bacteria Growing in Energy-Limited Chemostats

Bio/Technology volume 2, pages 251–254 (1984)Cite this article

Abstract

Evidence is presented showing that the set of broad-range cloning pSa plasmids are stably maintained in Escherichia coli. Cells containing these plasmids are generally less fit in glucose-limited chemostat cultures than plasmid-free cells. However, the insertion of a λ cos-containing DNA sequence into one of the pSa plasmids increases the fitness of cells carrying this λ cos pSa construct. These pSa plasmids, as well as others, can be used to select for “fitness” genes, segments of DNA that enhance bacterial growth and reproduction under defined conditions of fermentation. The significance of “non-expressed” DNA fragments in bacterial evolution is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616

    Gordon Edlin, Robert C. Tait & Raymond L. Rodriguez

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  1. Gordon Edlin
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  2. Robert C. Tait
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  3. Raymond L. Rodriguez
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Edlin, G., Tait, R. & Rodriguez, R. A Bacteriophage λ Cohesive Ends (cos) DNA Fragment Enhances the Fitness of Plasmid-Containing Bacteria Growing in Energy-Limited Chemostats. Nat Biotechnol 2, 251–254 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0384-251

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