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Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation
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Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation

Published on: January 4, 2017

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Complete nucleotide sequence and analysis of two conjugative broad host range plasmids from a marine microbial

Peter Norberg1, Maria Bergström2, Malte Hermansson2

  • 1Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.

Plos One
|March 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Novel marine plasmids, pMCBF1 and pMCBF6, reveal unique evolutionary dynamics within the IncP-1 plasmid family. Their identical backbones and differing mercury resistance transposons highlight ongoing plasmid evolution in marine biofilms.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Plasmids are extrachromosomal DNA elements crucial for bacterial adaptation and evolution.
  • The IncP-1 plasmid family is known for its broad host range and role in horizontal gene transfer.
  • Marine environments are reservoirs of diverse genetic elements, including mobile plasmids.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine and analyze the complete nucleotide sequences of plasmids pMCBF1 and pMCBF6.
  • To characterize the genetic makeup and evolutionary relationships of these novel marine plasmids.
  • To investigate the implications of their genetic features for plasmid evolution and potential gene spread.

Main Methods:

  • Whole-genome sequencing of plasmids pMCBF1 and pMCBF6.
  • Comparative genomic analysis to identify similarities and differences between the plasmids.
  • Bioinformatic analysis to identify mobile genetic elements, resistance genes, and other functional regions.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to determine the evolutionary placement of these plasmids within the IncP-1 family.

Main Results:

  • pMCBF1 and pMCBF6 belong to a novel IncP-1 clade, designated IncP-1 ς.
  • Both plasmids share identical backbones but differ in their mercury resistance transposons (Tn5053 and Tn5058).
  • Unique genetic features include an insertion sequence (ISPst1) in an unusual location and a novel ~2.5 kb backbone block with no known database similarity.
  • Presence of genes similar to the mexEF-nodT multidrug efflux pump operon, potentially impacting the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Conclusions:

  • The findings reveal significant ongoing plasmid evolution and dynamics within marine biofilms.
  • The novel genetic elements and arrangements in pMCBF1/pMCBF6 contribute to our understanding of plasmid diversity.
  • The presence of RND system genes on these promiscuous plasmids raises concerns about the future spread of multidrug resistance.

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