A mating system to transfer the ability of growing autotrophically as a hydrogen bacterium (aut+ marker) has been developed in Nocardia opaca strain 1b. Following filter mating between an aut+trp str strain and an aut strain, transconjugants of the phenotype Aut+Trp+Strs were obtained. The number of recombinant colonies exceeded the number of revertants by a factor of 105. This and other crosses indicated that only the aut+ marker is transferred. Among other markers tested (growth on lactate and benzoate) no new combinations were found. A few strains of the Rhodococcus taxon were tested for their ability to act as recipients. Transconjugants of Rhodococcus erythropolis and Corynebacterium hydrocarboclastus able to grow autotrophically were isolated. Most transconjugants were able to act as aut+ donors, but with different recipient spectra. As indicated by the observation of sectored colonies after autotrophic growth, by the measurement of the frequency of loss of autotrophy compared to auxotrophic markers, and by the effect of mitomycin C treatment, the aut+ marker does not become integrated in the recipient chromosome in a stable state. It is probably located on a plasmid.
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