Conservation and transfer of Escherichia coli genetic segments by partial diploid Hfr strains of Salmonella typhosa.

Heterozygous, partial diploid hybrids were obtained in a Salmonella typhosa Hfr strain by using it as the recipient in a mating with the Escherichia coli Hfr donor WR2004 (O...proA...leu). Three of these S. typhosa Hfr hybrids were observed to mobilize and transfer the diploid E. coli genes, at high frequencies, to an E. coli recipient. The gradient of transfer frequencies of E. coli markers from these S. typhosa Hfr hybrids was similar to that observed with E. coli Hfr WR2004, from which they were derived. Interrupted matings with one of these S. typhosa Hfr hybrids, designated WR4272, showed the entry times for the proA, thr(-)leu, and argB E. coli diploid markers to be identical to the times obtained for these markers with E. coli Hfr WR2004. Also, the pattern of unselected inheritance of the diploid E. coli markers of S. typhosa Hfr hybrid WR4272 was similar to that observed with the chromosomal markers of E. coli Hfr WR2004. It was concluded that S. typhosa Hfr hybrid WR4272 contains, in addition to its Salmonella genome, a physically continuous E. coli chromosomal segment which is genetically complete from proA to at least the strA locus. The two other S. typhosa Hfr hybrids, on the basis of transmission frequency gradients, appeared to contain a continuous E. coli diploid segment complete from proA through the fuc locus. Other classes of S. typhosa Hfr hybrids, derived from mating with E. coli Hfr WR2010 (O...tna...xyl), were also observed to transfer E. coli genes at high frequency.