Plasmid transformation in Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6: construction of biphasic plasmids and characterization of their transformation properties

Biphasic, chimeric plasmids for the transformation of Agmenellum quadruplicatum PR-6 (Synechococcus sp. strain 7002) were constructed by splicing the 3.0-megadalton cryptic plasmid from strain PR-6 into plasmids pBR322 and pBR325 from Escherichia coli. Transformants of either E. coli or strain PR-6 by these plasmids could be detected on the basis of the drug resistance marker(s) carried by the chimeric plasmids. Plasmid DNA isolated from a PR-6 transformant transformed PR-6 much more efficiently than plasmid DNA prepared from E. coli. Plasmids from which the AvaI recognition site was deleted (AvaI is an isoschizomer of the AquI restriction endonuclease of strain PR-6) also transformed strain PR-6 much more efficiently than did plasmids containing the AvaI recognition site. These and other results suggest that AquI strongly effects plasmid transformation when the donor plasmid contains an unmodified AquI recognition site. Multimeric forms of the chimeric plasmids are also much more efficient at transforming strain PR-6 than are the analogous monomeric forms.