Control of Tn7 transposition.

Our isolate of Tn7 (named Tn7S ) contains an IS1 insertion, and this IS1 can be converted into Tn9. In vitro and in vivo deletions of Tn7S and Tn7S ::Tn9 define regions of the transposon required for antibiotic resistance and transposition. Complementation of deletion mutants by cloned Tn7 fragments indicates the existence of two regions, denoted tnp7A and tnp7B , required for all transposition events. Another region, denoted tnp7C , is required for transposition from the chromosome to RP1 but not for transposition from a small IncP-1 replicon to the chromosome. The presence of Tn7S terminal sequences in an RP1 replicon reduces the transposition of a second Tn7S derivative from the chromosome by about one order of magnitude. The measured frequency of Tn7S transpositions from a small IncP-1 replicon to the chromosome depends on the particular incompatibility system used to eliminate that replicon. Genetic and physical data indicate that high frequencies of Tn7S transposition to the chromosome (greater than or equal to 40%) are triggered by the IncP-1 incompatibility reaction, thus suggesting the existence of a Tn7 mechanism for sensing the state of the carrier replicon.