Replication of plasmids in gram-negative bacteria

Replication of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is dependent on three stages: initiation, elongation, and termination. The first stage, initiation, depends on plasmid-encoded properties such as the replication origin and, in most cases, the replication initiation protein (Rep protein). In recent years the understanding of initiation and regulation of plasmid replication in Escherichia coli has increased considerably, but it is only for the ColE1-type plasmids that significant biochemical data about the initial priming reaction of DNA synthesis exist. Detailed models have been developed for the initiation and regulation of ColE1 replication. For other plasmids, such as pSC101, some hypotheses for priming mechanisms and replication initiation are presented. These hypotheses are based on experimental evidence and speculative comparisons with other systems, e.g., the chromosomal origin of E. coli. In most cases, knowledge concerning plasmid replication is limited to regulation mechanisms. These mechanisms coordinate plasmid replication to the host cell cycle, and they also seem to determine the host range of a plasmid. Most plasmids studied exhibit a narrow host range, limited to E. coli and related bacteria. In contrast, some others, such as the IncP plasmid RK2 and the IncQ plasmid RSF1010, are able to replicate in nearly all gram-negative bacteria. This broad host range may depend on the correct expression of the essential rep genes, which may be mediated by a complex regulatory mechanism (RK2) or by the use of different promoters (RSF1010). Alternatively or additionally, owing to the structure of their origin and/or to different forms of their replication initiation proteins, broad-host-range plasmids may adapt better to the host enzymes that participate in initiation. Furthermore, a broad host range can result when replication initiation is independent of host proteins, as is found in the priming reaction of RSF1010.