Identification of the Gene Products Responsible for F Plasmid Partitioning

DNA subfragments, sopA, sopB, and sopC supporting stable maintenance of an oriC plasmid, were derived from mini-F plasmid DNA (EcoRI restriction fragment, f5) after digestion with restriction endonucleases, and cloned in vector plasmid pBR322. The recombinant plasmid obtained were introduced into E. coli KY7231 and E. coli CSR603, and proteins specified by the mini-F fragments were analysed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two proteins encoded by the F fragments were detected, having molecular weights of 41,000 and 37.000. The sopA protein (41K) encoded by a plasmid pXX288 was observed in the cytoplasm, whereas the sopB protein (37K) encoded by a plasmid pXX157 was in the membrane fraction. There was no novel protein band detected in the cell with a plasmid pXX300, which contained sopC fragment. Gene products of a plasmid pXX167, which is comprised of sopA, sopB, and sopC, were not detectable. Fluorography after one and two dimensional gel electrophoresis of the lysates showed that these two proteins were overproduced in the cells which were allowed to incorporate radioactive amino acid after plasmid amplification by chloramphenicol treatment. The isoelectric points of the sopA and sepB proteins were 6.6 and 7.0, respectively.