TRANSFORMATION OF THE METHYLOTROPHIC ACTINOMYCETE AMYCOLATOPIS-METHANOLICA WITH PLASMID DNA - STIMULATORY EFFECT OF A PMEA300-ENCODED GENE

Amycolatopsis methanolica contains a 13.29-kb plasmid (pMEA300) presen t both in the free state and integrated at a unique genomic location. A pMEA300-free derivative (strain WV1) was selected, allowing further analysis of pMEA300-encoded functions. Whole cells of strain WV1 could be transformed at high frequencies (approximately 10(6) transformants per microgram of plasmid DNA) with both circular and linear plasmid D NA, provided that the pMEA300-encoded stf(stimulation of transformatio n frequency) gene was present. sd would encode a putative protein of 3 73 amino acids with M(r), 40,201, resembling putative regulatory prote ins involved in sporulation of Streptomyces griseus and Streptomyces c oelicolor. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.