Plasmid transfer in Streptomyces lividans: identification of a kil-kor system associated with the transfer region of pIJ101.

The 8.9-kilobase Streptomyces plasmid pIJ101 is self-transmissible at high frequency into recipient strains. By genetic analysis of the transfer region of the plasmid, we identified six plasmid-encoded loci involved in gene transfer and the associated pocking phenomenon. Two loci, kilA and kilB, could not be cloned into Streptomyces lividans on a minimal pIJ101-based replicon unless suitable kil-override (kor) genes were present, either in cis or in trans. korA could control the lethal effects of both kilA and kilB, whereas korB could control only the effects of kilB. KilB mutants were defective in their pocking reaction; kilA mutants produced no visible pocks whatsoever. Mutations in two other loci, tra and spd, produced no pocks and defective pocks, respectively. These results suggest that kilA, kilB, tra, and spd are intimately involved in plasmid transfer and that the actions of kilA and kilB are regulated by the products of the korA and korB genes.