Analysis of Natural Plasmids of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988

SUMMARY: The six plasmid species of Zymomonas mobilis ATCC 10988 were isolated, separated and purified. Evidence is presented that the 1·6 kb (pZMO1) and 1·9 kb (pZMO2) species can co-migrate on agarose gels, contain single sites for BglII and HindIII, or EcoRI and EcoRV respectively, and are related at the nucleotide level. The 16·7 kb species (pZMO5) appears to be a tetramer and is partially homologous with pZMO1 and pZMO2. The 2·7 kb species (pZMO3) has a single SphI site and does not show sequence homology with pZMO1 or pZMO2. Structural features of the 7·3 kb (pZMO4) and 31·3 kb (pZMO6) molecules are discussed.