High-Frequency Flp Recombinase-Mediated Inversions of the <i>oriC</i> -Containing Region of the <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Genome

Abstract

ABSTRACT The genomes of the two clonally derived Pseudomonas aeruginosa prototypic strains PAO1 and DSM-1707 differ by the presence of a 2.19-Mb inversion including oriC . Integration of two Flp recombinase target sites near the rrn operons containing the inversion endpoints in PAO1 led to Flp-catalyzed inversion of the intervening 1.59-Mb fragment, including oriC , at high frequencies (83%), favoring the chromosome configuration found in DSM-1707. The results indicate that the oriC -containing region of the P. aeruginosa chromosome can readily undergo and tolerate large inversions.