Interactions between the genetic transfer-inhibiting systems finU and finV in polyplasmid complexes of Escherichia coli K-12 cells

The inhibition of conjugative transfer of derepressed plasmids was appreciably increased in polyplasmid complexes of Escherichia coli K-12 cells containing two repressed conjugative plasmids with the finV system of genetic transfer regulation, in comparison with the individual effects of each of the two plasmids. Combination of two plasmids with the finU system or of plasmids with the finU and finV systems did not result in such an increase of inhibitory activity. © 1996, Plenum Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.