Abstract

This is a broadly based continuation of work in progress in this deapartment dealing with the epidemiology and evolution of plasmids in gram-positive bacteria, and with the molecular basis of replication control and incompatibility of the penicillinase plasmids of Staphylococcus aureus. New aspects of the investigation include a molecular cloning analysis of plasmid partitioning and the relation of plamids to the host cell envelope. These studies will explore the mechanism of plasmid curing during protoplast regeneration, which is thought to involve a deficiency in the partition-cell division process due to the absence of the cell wall. They will also analyze the relation of plasmid partitioning to spore transmission as well as the nature of host factors involved in stable plasmid maintenance, particularly as revealed by trans-species plasmid instability. This latter phenomenon will be considered to represent a mismatch between the plasmid and host factors involved in the initation of replication and others involved in partitioning.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM014372-19
Application #
3268636
Study Section
(MG)
Project Start
1976-12-01
Project End
1986-11-30
Budget Start
1984-12-01
Budget End
1985-11-30
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
Public Health Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Newark
State
NJ
Country
United States
Zip Code

  Publications

Jin, R; Novick, R P (2001) Role of the double-strand origin cruciform in pT181 replication. Plasmid 46:95-105
Jin, R; Fernandez-Beros, M E; Novick, R P (1997) Why is the initiation nick site of an AT-rich rolling circle plasmid at the tip of a GC-rich cruciform? EMBO J 16:4456-66
Jin, R; Zhou, X; Novick, R P (1996) The inactive pT181 initiator heterodimer, RepC/C, binds but fails to induce melting of the plasmid replication origin. J Biol Chem 271:31086-91
Rasooly, A; Projan, S J; Novick, R P (1994) Plasmids of the pT181 family show replication-specific initiator protein modification. J Bacteriol 176:2450-3
Rasooly, A; Wang, P Z; Novick, R P (1994) Replication-specific conversion of the Staphylococcus aureus pT181 initiator protein from an active homodimer to an inactive heterodimer. EMBO J 13:5245-51
Wang, P Z; Projan, S J; Henriquez, V et al. (1993) Origin recognition specificity in pT181 plasmids is determined by a functionally asymmetric palindromic DNA element. EMBO J 12:45-52
Bargonetti, J; Wang, P Z; Novick, R P (1993) Measurement of gene expression by translational coupling: effect of copy mutations on pT181 initiator synthesis. EMBO J 12:3659-67
Rasooly, A; Novick, R P (1993) Replication-specific inactivation of the pT181 plasmid initiator protein. Science 262:1048-50
Projan, S J; Novick, R P (1992) cis-inhibitory elements in the pT181 replication system. Plasmid 27:81-92
Wang, P Z; Projan, S J; Henriquez, V et al. (1992) Specificity of origin recognition by replication initiator protein in plasmids of the pT181 family is determined by a six amino acid residue element. J Mol Biol 223:145-58

Showing the most recent 10 out of 25 publications