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High-Resolution Comparison of Bacterial Conjugation Frequencies
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Competent but complex communication: The phenomena of pheromone-responsive plasmids

Amy J Sterling1, William J Snelling1, Patrick J Naughton1

  • 1Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), Ulster University, Coleraine, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Plos Pathogens
|April 3, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Enterococci bacteria spread antimicrobial resistance via pheromone-responsive plasmids (PRPs). This review details PRP systems, highlighting the need to study less-understood systems for their virulence factors.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacterial Genetics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Enterococci are gram-positive bacteria causing healthcare-associated infections.
  • They possess efficient pheromone-responsive plasmid (PRP) transfer systems for genetic exchange.
  • These systems facilitate the spread of antimicrobial resistance determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of enterococcal PRP systems.
  • To incorporate functional details of less-characterized PRP systems.
  • To catalogue identified virulence-associated elements within PRPs.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on enterococcal PRP systems.
  • Comparative analysis of characterized and less-defined PRP systems.
  • Identification and cataloging of virulence-associated elements.

Main Results:

  • The pCF10 plasmid system is the most well-characterized PRP system.
  • Other PRP systems show structural similarities but lack functional homologues of pCF10 genes.
  • Various virulence-associated elements have been identified within PRPs.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding enterococcal PRP systems is crucial for combating antimicrobial resistance.
  • Further elucidation of less-studied PRP systems is required.
  • Identifying virulence factors associated with PRPs is essential for infection control.

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