Regions in Bacteroides plasmids pBFTM10 and pB8-51 that allow Escherichia coli-Bacteroides shuttle vectors to be mobilized by IncP plasmids and by a conjugative Bacteroides tetracycline resistance element.

Bacteroides-Escherichia coli shuttle vectors containing a nonmobilizable pBR322 derivative and either pBFTM10 (pDP1, pCG30) or pB8-51 (pEG920) were mobilized by IncP plasmid R751 or pRK231 (an ampicillin-sensitive derivative of RK2) between E. coli strains and from E. coli to Bacteroides recipients. IncI alpha R64 drd-ll transferred these vectors 1,000 times less efficiently than did the IncP plasmids. pDP1, pCG30, and pEG920 could be mobilized from B. uniformis donors to both E. coli and Bacteroides recipients by a conjugative Bacteroides Tcr (Tcr ERL) element which was originally found in a clinical Bacteroides fragilis strain (B. fragilis ERL). However, the shuttle vector pE5-2, which contains pB8-51 cloned in a restriction site that prevents its mobilization by IncP or IncI alpha plasmids, also was not mobilized at detectable frequencies from Bacteroides donors by the Tcr ERL element. The mobilization frequencies of pCG30, pDP1, and pEG920 by the Tcr ERL element in B. uniformis donors to E. coli recipients was about the same as those to isogenic B. uniformis recipients. Transfer of the shuttle vectors from B. uniformis donors to E. coli occurred at the same frequencies when the matings were done aerobically or anaerobically. Growth of the B. uniformis donors in tetracycline (1 microgram/ml) prior to conjugation increased the mobilization frequencies of the vectors to both E. coli and Bacteroides recipients 50 to 100 times.