Bacterial plasmids

Details Bacterial plasmids Bacterial plasmids

2000-10-02

2002-05-21

Guzo, David (Department: 1636)

Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology

Vector, per se

C435S006120, C435S069100, C435S252300, C536S023100, C514S04400A

Reexamination Certificate

active

06391631

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to bacterial plasmids.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Plasmids are small, extra-chromosomal, mostly circular and independently replicating DNA molecules, which occur in nearly all bacteria and also in some eukaryons as well as in the mitochondria. The size of the plasmids vary between approximately 1.5 to 300 kb.
As a rule bacterial plasmids are circular, covalently closed and supercoiled. They often carry resistance genes against antibiotics or heavy metals, genes for the metabolization of a typical substrates or genes for a number of specie-specific characteristics, such as metabolic properties or virulence factors. Some plasmids can be transferred from one cell into another. Because the pathogenity of bacteria is determined according to present views, partly also by the properties of the plasmids, there exists increasingly a greater interest to clarify the properties of the plasmid DNA.
It is known of the family of entereobacteriacea, to whom 14 main varieties and 6 further varieties belong, that family members can develop different properties. Typical family members are, for example, Escherichia, Salmonella and Klebsiella.
Escherichia coli
(
E. coli
) is the classic model for the study of bacterial genetics. By discovering and characterizing different virulence factors of
E. coli
, strains of this species were generally found to exhibit differences in human and animal pathogenicities. These differences may be extreme, ranging from avirulence to high grade virulence, such as in the case of the recently spreading variant known as “EHEC”. Thus, a number of virulence factors have been described for extra-intestinal as well as for intestinal
E. coli
strains, which have been partially characterized. The sero-variety 06:K5 virulence factors, such, as for example, haemolycin and P-fimbrial adhesion are known to be associated with pathogenic
E. coli
, while apathogenic representations of this sero-variety typically lack these virulence factors.
As in rule virulence genes are found at enterobacteria on large plasmids (approximately 60 kb). There are also enterobacteria with small, so-called cryptic plasmids, whose function hitherto could not be reliably determined.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Because it is known that
E. coli
virulence factors are at least partly also present in genes of the plasmids, there exists a need for further, data regarding the detection and characterization of plasmids in enterobacteria, especially Escherichia. Such information will improve, for example, diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of enterobacterial infections. Such plasmids, or their bacterial carriers, or corresponding synthethized DNA can be applied medicinally in therapeutics or for prophylaxis of Enterobacterial infections, as well as for nutritional, physiological or probiotic purposes in microbiological analysis or diagnostics testing of such infections. Furthermore, plasmids, especially those of
E. coli
, are known expression vectors used in genetic engineering, increasing the interest in and learning more about the properties of such plasmids.


REFERENCES:
Cannon, P. M. et al.: “Complete nucleotide sequence and gene organization of plasmid NTP16.” PLASMID, vol. 27, No. 3, May 1992, pp. 220-230, XP002085747.
Stieglitz, H. et al.: “Identification of a 2-Md Plasmid fromShigella flexneriassociated with reactive arthritis.” ARTHRITIS AND RHEUMATISM, vol. 32, No. 8, Aug. 1989, pp. 937-946, XP002085748.
Stirling, C.J. et al.: “The arginine repressor is essential for plasmid-stabilizing site-specific recombination at the ColE1 cer locus.” EMBO Journal, vol. 7, No. 13, 1998, pp. 4389-4395, XP002085749 & Database EMBL—EMPRO entry Pccg1, Acc. No. J01566; M33100, Feb. 15, 1992. “Plasmid ColE1, complete genome.” XP002085751.
Yasueda, H. et al.: “Structural and functional organization of colE2 and ColE3 replicons” MOLECULAR AND GENERAL GENETICS, vol. 215, 1989, pp. 209-216, XP002094006.
Boyd, A.C. et al.: “Characterization of the ColE1 mobilization region and its protein products” MOLECULAR AND GENERAL GENETICS, vol. 217, 1989, pp. 488-498, XP002094007.
Blum, G. et al.: “Properties ofEscherichia colistrains of serotype 06.” INFECTION, vol. 23, No. 4, Jul. 1995, pp. 234-236, XP002085750.

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