Cloing and characterization of an <i>Escherichia coli</i> gene, <i>pcnB</i>, affecting plasmid copy number

Abstract

A gene, pcnB, affecting the copy number of ColE1-related plasmids has been cloned and mapped to 3.6 min on the Escherichia coli chromosome between panD and fhu. The gene encodes a previously undescribed 48 kD protein. Several independently isolated mutants exhibiting the same phenotype, reduced copy number, have been shown to be pcnB-.