Isolation and use of Prevotella ruminicola TC18 plasmid pTC18 in Escherichia coli-P. ruminicola shuttle vector construction

Abstract

A cryptic plasmid of approximately 3 kilobases named pTC18 was discovered in a ruminal Prevotella ruminicola TC18 strain and cloned into Escherichia coli. Based on pTC18, several shuttle vectors, containing Prevotella/Bacteroides tetQ selection marker and E. coli vector pUC19 inserted at two different positions in pTC18 were constructed. The shuttle vectors, protected with HaeIII methylase against the P. ruminicola 23 restriction were electroporated into P. ruminicola. Despite numerous attempts a tetracycline resistant recombinant strain 23 was not obtained. The possible causes for electroporation failure are discussed.