Transposon 10 promoted deletions and inversions in the transfer genes of R100-1

Abstract

Spontaneous tetracycline-sensitive, transfer-deficient mutants of R100-1 were selected and analysed by genetic complementation tests and with the restriction endonculease EcoR1. While some of the Tet^s Tra^- mutants were caused by a single deletion event which removed the Tet^r genes and extended into the neighbouring transfer genes, other mutants were the result of the deletion of the Tet^r genes within Tn10 which was accompanied by an inversion of adjacent DNA sequences. A clustering of deletion and inversion endpoints occurred in the traA gene. Some of the transfer genes of R100-1 were assigned to EcoR1 fragments.