In vivo cloning of the pectate lyase and cellulase genes of Erwinia chrysanthemi.

Using an RP4 plasmid which carries a mini-Mu prophage which allows it to integrate spontaneously random pieces of its host chromosome, we cloned in vivo at least some of the pectate lyase and cellulase genes of the Erwinia chrysanthemi strain B374. The RP4-prime plasmids were used to localize the cloned genes on the B374 chromosome by co-transposition mapping and to subclone most of the genes in a classic high copy number plasmid vector.