Cloning the gentamicin resistance gene from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa plasmid in Escherichia coli enhances detection of aminoglycoside modification

Cloning the gene for gentamicin resistance from Pseudomonas aeruginosa plasmid pMG35 on the high-copy-number Escherichia coli cloning vehicle pMK20 allowed detection of 6'-N-acetyltransferase activity that was not readily detected when the parent plasmid was present either in P. aeruginosa or E. coli.