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Expression of antibiotic resistance genes from Escherichia coli in Bacillus subtilis

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Summary

Bifunctional recombinant plasmids were constructed, comprised of the E. coli vectors pBR322, pBR325 and pACYC184 and different plasmids from Gram-positive bacteria, e.g. pBSU161-1 of B. subtilis and pUB110 and pC221 of S. aureus. The beta-lactamase (bla) gene and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (cat) gene from the E. coli plasmids were not transcribed and therefore not expressed in B. subtilis. However, tetracycline resistance from the E. coli plasmids was expressed in B. subtilis. Transcription of the tetracycline resistance gene(s) started in B. subtilis at or near the original E. coli promoter, the sequence of which is almost identical with the sequence recognized by σ55 of B. subtilis RNA polymerase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Genetik und Mikrobiologie der Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, D-8700, Würzburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    Jürgen Kreft, Klaus J. Burger & Werner Goebel

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  1. Jürgen Kreft
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  2. Klaus J. Burger
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  3. Werner Goebel
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Communicated by E. Bautz

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Kreft, J., Burger, K.J. & Goebel, W. Expression of antibiotic resistance genes from Escherichia coli in Bacillus subtilis . Mol Gen Genet 190, 384–389 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331063

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00331063

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