Genetic translocation in Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract
A 5.2 kilobase pair transposon, Tn551, was found in S. aureus, a gram-positive bacterium. Initially detected on plasmid pI258, it undergoes rec-independent transposition to multiple chromosomal and plasmid sites, sometimes causing insertional inactivation. Unlike most other transposons, Tn551 undergoes apparently precise excision as a rule. The initial observation of Tn551 transition involved UV-inactivation of the carrier plasmid; this would appear to be a general means of detecting transposable elements.