Small, stable shuttle vectors based on the minimal pVS1 replicon for use in gram-negative, plant-associated bacteria

The minimal replicon of the Pseudomonas plasmid pVS1 was genetically define d and combined with the Escherichia coli p15A replicon, to provide a series of new, oligocopy cloning vectors (5.3 to 8.3 kb). Recombinant plasmids de rived from these vectors were stable in growing and nongrowing cells of roo t-colonizing P, fluorescens strains incubated under different environmental conditions for more than 1 month.