Factors affecting transfer of degradative plasmids between bacteria in soils

Abstract Horizontal gene transfer is useful for enhancing bioremediation through gene bioaugmentation. However, factors affecting transfer of degradative plasmids have not been systematically addressed. To this end, plasmid transfer experiments were performed using a TOL-like plasmid carrying the gene encoding for catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O) between two soil bacteria under different conditions. Transfer frequency increased with air temperature in the range of 10–35 °C and reached 6 × 10 −4 transconjugants per donor cell at 35 °C. The transfer frequency detected at soil depth 5–10 cm was significantly higher ( p p p −3 transconjugants per donor cell. Corn and wheat seedlings also led to significantly higher transfer frequencies ( p