Mini-Tn7 transposons for site-specific tagging of bacteria with fluorescent proteins

Environ Microbiol. 2004 Jul;6(7):726-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00605.x.

Abstract

The mini-Tn7 transposon system is a convenient tool for site-specific tagging of bacteria in which the tagging DNA is inserted at a unique and neutral chromosomal site. We have expanded the panel of mini-Tn7 delivery plasmids expressing different fluorescent proteins (stable and unstable) from the Escherichia coli lac derived promoter, P(A1/04/03), or from the growth-rate-dependent Escherichia coli promoter PrrnB P1. The mini-Tn7 transposons were inserted and tested in the soil bacterium, Pseudomonas putida KT2440. Successful and site-specific tagging was verified by Southern blots as well as by PCR. Furthermore, the effect of fluorescent protein expression on the cellular growth rate was tested by growth competition assays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Artificial Gene Fusion
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Chromosomes, Bacterial
  • DNA Transposable Elements*
  • DNA, Bacterial / analysis
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Lac Operon
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism*
  • Plasmids
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Pseudomonas putida / genetics*
  • Pseudomonas putida / growth & development
  • Pseudomonas putida / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Staining and Labeling
  • rRNA Operon

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins