Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene probe detection of target lacZ and uidA genes were used to detect total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli, respectively, for determining water quality. In tests of environmental water samples, the lacZ PCR method gave results statistically equivalent to those of the plate count and defined substrate methods accepted by the U.S. Environment...

Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNA) is a new type of DNA analogue with a peptide backbone. We developed a rapid identification system of Escherichia. coli O157:H7 using PNA mediated PCR clamping. Firstly, we confirmed a single nucleotide alteration in the uidA gene (T93G), which is specific to E. coli O157: H7. We designed forward mutant DNA primer, wild type PNA, and a reverse DNA primer corresponding...

Vectors which possess a truncated niaD gene encoding nitrate reductase were developed to allow targeted gene integration during transformation of an niaD mutant Penicillium chrysogenum host. The Penicillium genes pcbC and penAB are immediately adjacent to each other and are divergently transcribed, with an intergenic control region serving as their promoters. Gene fusions were constructed with ...

Transcriptional regulation of cell cycle regulatory genes, such as B-type cyclins, is tightly linked with the mitotic activity in the meristems. To study the regulation of a B-type cyclin gene, a targeted genetic approach was undertaken. An Arabidopsis line containing a fusion construct between the CYCB1;1 promoter and a bacterial beta-glucuronidase marker gene (uidA) was used in ethyl methanes...

A system for Egyptian barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Giza 123) transformation via biolistic bombardment has been established. Immature embryos 1.0-1.5 mm in length were aseptically isolated from barley plants cultivated in the open field. Embryos were then cultured on callus induction medium with scutellum side up. Scutellum derived calli were bombarded with the plasmid pAHC25, containing the ma...

The uidA gene is the first gene involved in the hexuronide-hexuronate pathway in Escherichia coli K-12 and is under the dual control of the uidR and uxuR encoded repressors. Point mutations affecting the uidR regulatory gene were sought to investigate the regulation of uidA. When the uidR mutant allele was on a multicopy plasmid and the wild-type allele was on the chromosome, some of the mutant...

An efficient transformation protocol based on kanamycin selection was developed for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of maritime pine embryonal masses. The binary vector pBINUbiGUSint, which contained neomycin phosphotransferase II (nptII) as a selectable marker gene and β -glucuronidase (uidA) as a reporter gene, was used for transformation studies. Different factors, such as embryogenic ...

To identify regulators of penicillin biosynthesis, a previously isolated mutant of Aspergillus nidulans (Prg-1) which carried the trans-acting prgA1 mutation was used. This mutant also contained fusions of the penicillin biosynthesis genes acvA and ipnA with reporter genes (acvA-uidA and ipnA-lacZ) integrated in a double-copy arrangement at the chromosomal argB gene. The prgA1 mutant strain exh...

A new genetic technique for constructing mutants of Methanosarcina acetivorans C2A by using hpt as a counterselectable marker was developed. Mutants with lesions in the hpt gene, encoding hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase, were shown to be >35-fold more resistant to the toxic base analog 8-aza-2,6-diaminopurine (8ADP) than was the wild type. Reintroduction of the hpt gene into a Delta hpt ...