Figure 7

Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of transposase mRNA levels in hns + and Δ hns , strains. Total RNA from donor strains used in mating out experiments was isolated at mid-log phase of growth. Roughly equivalent amounts of RNA were reverse transcribed using transposase-specific primers and transposase levels were quantified using real-time RT-PCR (see Methods). We simultaneously measured 16S rRNA levels from hns + and Δhns cells. The relative levels of IS50 transposase transcript presented were normalized to the corresponding levels of 16S rRNA transcript. Each normalized value represents an average from four independent clones from a single mating out experiment.