Plasmidless, photosynthetically incompetent mutants of Rhodospirillum rubrum

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Bacteriol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5929411

Kuhl, S A; Wimer, L T; Yoch, D C

Ethyl methanesulfonate has been shown in the past to render a high percentage of Rhodospirillum rubrum cells plasmidless and photosynthetically incompetent. By probing restriction endonuclease-digested chromosomal DNA from these plasmidless strains with /sup 32/P-labeled R. rubrum plasmid DNA, it was shown that no homology exists between the plasmid and the chromosomal DNA of the mutant. Loss of the plasmid in all the nonphotosynthetic isolates was accomplished by the synthesis of spirilloxanthin under aerobic growth conditions, resistance to cycloserine and HgCl/sub 2/, and loss of ability to grow fermentatively on fructose. Changes in both the protein and lipid composition of the membranes and the impaired uptake of /sup 203/HgCl/sub 2/ in the plasmidless strains (compared with the wild type) suggest either that membrane modification occurs as a result of plasmid loss, accounting for several of the acquired phenotype characteristics of the cured strains, or that both membrane modification and plasmid loss are part of the same pleiotropic mutation. 24 references, 7 figures, 3 tables.

• Research Organization: Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia
• OSTI ID: 5929411
• Journal Information: J. Bacteriol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bacteriol.; (United States) Vol. 159:3; ISSN JOBAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560302* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
AMINO ACIDS
BACTERIA
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DNA
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GROWTH
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROXY ACIDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEMBRANES
MERCURY 203
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
MERCURY ISOTOPES
MICROORGANISMS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
MUTANTS
NUCLEI
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS 32
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
PHOTOSYNTHETIC MEMBRANES
PLASMIDS
RADIOISOTOPES
RHODOSPIRILLUM
SERINE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
UPTAKE