Genetic tools for pseudomonads, rhizobia, and other gram-negative bacteria.

Gram-negative bacteria are extraordinarily diverse microorganisms that present a wide variety of characteristics worthy of genetic investigation. For historical reasons, the application of recombinant DNA technology to gram-negative bacteria in general has always lagged behind that of E. coli and its close relatives. However, the past 10 years have seen dramatic advances in the development of new tools and vectors for genetic analysis in non-E. coli hosts. Applications include various kinds of genetic manipulation, conjugation, transposition, site-specific recombination, protein secretion, protein purification, cell suicide, microbial ecology, biodegradation, and plant and animal pathogenicity.