PLASMID ADDICTION AS A NOVEL APPROACH TO DEVELOP A STABLE PLASMID VECTOR FOR XYLELLA FASTIDIOSA

• Author(s): Igo, Michele; Young, Glenn; Kirkpatrick, Bruce; Matsumoto, Ayumi;
• Abstract: Understanding the progression of Pierces Disease (PD) has been limited by the lack of genetic and molecular tools that can be used to study the biology of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf). Although a number of potential plasmid vectors have been developed that are capable of replicating in Xf, none of these plasmids are stably maintained in Xf without antibiotic selection. To solve this problem, we have introduced two different types of stabilizing elements into the Xf plasmid vectors pXF004 and pXF005. These stabilizing elements include the plasmid addiction systems, hok/sok and parDE, and the active partitioning system, parA. Our preliminary studies indicate that the addition of the hok/sok addiction module to plasmid, pXF004, greatly increases its stability in Xf.
• Publication Date: Dec 2005
• Journal: 2005 Pierce's Disease Research Symposium