Abstract
A multicopy plasmid, 4.7 kb in size, was isolated from Shigella sonnei and named pKY1. This plasmid produces a colicin E1-like bacteriocin (colicin E1*) in E. coli cells. The cells harboring pKY1 are immune not only to this bacteriocin but also to colicin E1, and the cells harboring ColE1 show immunity to colicin E1* as well. Although these two plasmid DNAs have different cleavage maps and are compatible with each other, pKY1 shows partial DNA homology with ColE1 DNA. In this paper, we report the isolation and properties of several Tn3 inserted pKY1 mutants, and propose a preliminary genetic map of pKY1. It was also found that this plasmid is not capable of self-transmission and is poorly mobilized by the F factor.
