Abstract:
A process for constructing the plasmids pDR416 and pDR420 which contain arsenic resistance genes and which are able to replicate in both T. ferroxidans and E. coli comprises preparing a recombinant of pBR325 or the like and a T. ferrooxidans plasmid, forming a deletion plasmid and inserting arsenic resistance genes e.g. from R46 by EcoR1 excision and ligation.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the construction of recombinant DNA plasmid vectors for Thiobacillus ferrooxidans which contain arsenic resistance genes and are able to replicate in both T. ferrooxidans and Escherichia coli. 
     The biological leaching of arseno-pyrite ores has hitherto been limited by the sensitivity of the organisms involved to the arsenic which is released in the process. 
     Although arsenic resistant plasmids have been constructed for other bacteria, there are to the applicant&#39;s knowledge no reports of the construction of such plasmids for T. ferrooxidans which can also replicate in E. coli. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention a DNA plasmid is constructed which contains arsenic resistance genes and can replicate in T. ferrooxidans. These plasmids can be transformed into T. ferrooxidans and enhance the arsenic resistance of the recipients. 
     The method is preferably carried out by cleaving a cryptic DNA plasmid from a T. ferrooxidans strain and a second plasmid with the same restriction enzyme, ligating the plasmids to form a recombinant plasmid, removing the E. coli origin of replication from the recombinant plasmid to form a deleted recombinant plasmid, removing arsenic resistance genes from a third plasmid by cleaving with a restriction enzyme, and inserting the genes into the deleted recombinant plasmid by cleaving with the same restricton enzyme thereby to generate the arsenic resistance plasmids. 
     The invention also extends to an arsenic plasmid pDR416 which has a size of about 16.5 kb and which is divided into five fragments having the sizes 4.4 kb, 3.6 kb, 3.4 kb, 2.8 kb and 2.3 kb, respectively by the restriction enzyme Pvu1. 
     The invention further extends to an arsenic resistance plasmid pDR420 which has a size of about 13.3 kb and which is divided into four fragments having the sizes 4.4 kb, 4.2 kb, 3.6 kb and 1.1 kb, repectively by the restriction enzyme Pvu1. 
     The plasmids of the invention find use in the leaching of ores, particularly in gold recovery processes. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An example of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates restriction maps of plasmids pTF-FC2 and pDR401, and 
     FIG. 2 illustrates restriction maps of plasmids pDR403, pDR404, pDR416 and pDR420, and an R46 fragment. 
    
    
     A 12.4 kilobase (kb) cryptic plasmid, pTF-FC2, was extracted from a T. ferrooxidans FC strain isolated from acid leach liquor from Fairview Mine, General Mining Union Corporation Limited, South Africa. Restriction mapping of pTF-FC2 shows that it has unique Pst1, Xho1, Kpn1, EcoR1, Apa1, Cla1 restriction sites, and two Pvu1 restriction sites, refer to FIG. 1. 
     A recombinant plasmid, pDR401 was constructed by insertion of the E. coli plasmid, pBR325, into the Pst1 site of pTF-FC2. pBR325 contains the genes for ampicillin (Ap), chloramphenicol (Cm) and tetracycline (Tc) resistance. Cloning at the Pst1 site insertionally inactivated the Ap R  gene and E. coli transformants which were Cn R , Tc R  and Ap S  were isolated. The recombinant plasmid pDR401 (about 17.8 kb) was extracted from the E. coli transformants and characterized by restriction analysis. This novel recombinant plasmid contains the genes for Cm R  and Tc R  and is able to replicate in T. ferrooxidans and E. coli. 
     It is possible, though, depending on the orientation of insertion of the plasmid pBR325, to construct the plasmid pDR401 (17.8 kb), or the plasmid pDR403 (17.8 kb) a restriction map of which is shown in FIG. 2. (It should be pointed out at this stage that other suitable plasmids could possibly be used in place of pBR325). 
     In accordance with the present invention the E. coli origin of replication is removed from the pDR403 plasmid to form the deleted recombinant plasmid pDR404 (9 kb) (see FIG. 2). 
     Aresenic resistance genes are removed from the plasmid R46, a 7.5 kb fragment containing the As R  and Tc R  genes, which is an EcoR1 digest of the IncN plasmic R46 (Brown &amp; Willets 1981). This is done by cleaving the R46 plasmid with the restriction enzyme EcoR1. The arsenic resistance genes are inserted into the plasmid pDR404, by cleaving with the same restriction enzyme EcoR1, to generate the arsenic resistance plasmids pDR416 and pDR420. 
     Each of the plasmids pDR416 (16.5 Kb) and pDR420 (13.3 kb) was characterized by endonucleolytic cleavage with the restriction enzyme Pvu1. 
     The plasmid pDR416 is, in this way, cleaved into five fragments having the sizes 4.4 kb, 3.6 kb, 3.4 kb, 2.8 kb and 2.3 kb, respectively. 
     The plasmid pDR420 is cleaved by the same enzyme into four fragments having the sizes 4.4 kb, 4.2 kb, 3.6 kb and 1.1 kb, respectively. 
     T. ferrooxidans strains into which the plasmids of the invention have been transformed are utilized for the leaching of arseno-pyritic ores and the consequent enhanced extraction of minerals therefrom. 
     In one process known to the applicant gold ore is exposed to arseno-pyrite and as the gold is released for extraction the arsenic goes into solution. The arsenic concentration builds up and this inhibits the organism thereby minimizing the extraction efficiency. The problem is countered by precipitating the arsenic at regular intervals and continuing the process with a fresh solution. The result is that the process is time consuming and expensive. 
     The plasmids of the invention are arsenic resistant and, transformed into the T. ferrooxidans strains enable the accelerated leaching of the ores. This results because the time interval before arsenic precipitation is required, if at all, is increased. 
     The T. ferrooxidans strain has been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 and has been assigned ATCC number 39838. It has a taxonometric description follows: It is an autotrophic aerobic, Gram-negative, rod shped bacterium. It is able to oxidize ferrous iron to ferric iron and reduced and partially reduced sulfur compounds to sulfuric acid. Its optimum pH is between 1.6 and 2.2 its optimum temperature is between 25° C. and 30° C. It has a G-C ratio of 59-60 mol percent.