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American Society for Microbiology, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 3(77), p. 854-861, 2011

DOI: 10.1128/aem.02319-10

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Use of RmInt1, a Group IIB Intron Lacking the Intron-Encoded Protein Endonuclease Domain, in Gene Targeting

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The group IIA intron Ll.LtrB from Lactococcus lactis and the group IIB intron EcI5 from Escherichia coli have intron-encoded proteins (IEP) with a DNA-binding domain (D) and an endonuclease domain (En). Both have been successfully retargeted to invade target DNAs other than their wild-type target sites. RmInt1, a subclass IIB3/D intron with an IEP lacking D and En domains, is highly active in retrohoming in its host, Sinorhizobium meliloti . We found that RmInt1 was also mobile in E. coli and that retrohoming in this heterologous host depended on temperature, being more efficient at 28°C than at 37°C. Furthermore, we programmed RmInt1 to recognize target sites other than its wild-type site. These retargeted introns efficiently and specifically retrohome into a recipient plasmid target site or a target site present as a single copy in the chromosome, generating a mutation in the targeted gene. Our results extend the range of group II introns available for gene targeting.