Selection of plasmid molecules for conjugative transfer and replacement strand synthesis in the donor

Plasmid selection and strand replacement synthesis in donor cells during conjugative transfer was examined by a procedure involving electroporation of test plasmid DNA, containing a base pair mismatch, into donor cells prior to mating. Multiple copies of the plasmid were transferred from a donor cell that allowed vegetative replication of the plasmid. Under conditions non-permissive for vegetative replication, there were further rounds of transfer after a lag period. Strand replacement in the donor did not depend solely on the initiation mechanism for vegetative replication, indicating a conjugation-specific mechanism was also available. The lag period between first and second rounds of transfer argues against the transfer of multiple copies into recipients by the spooling of copies generated on a master molecule by rolling-circle replication.     

Genetic analysis of bacterial plasmid promiscuity

The genetic basis of the promiscuous behaviour of bacterial plasmids has been investigated by study of the incompatibility P-1 group of conjugative plasmids of gram-negative bacteria. Both transposon mutagenesis and the construction of minireplicons linking varying combinations of the plasmid genome have shown that specific genomic regions control the conjugational transfer and vegetative replication of the plasmid in specific bacterial hosts. These include the plasmid DNA primase gene, the origin of plasmid transfer, a region near the origin of transfer, the origin of plasmid vegetative replication, thetrans- acting gene essential for the initiation of plasmid replication and a region involved in its regulation. DNA sequence analysis has identified the requirement of specific direct repeats within the origin of replication for plasmid replication in some but not in other hosts. The cloning of some of the trans-acting genes onto multicopy cloning vectors and complementation tests have shown that the requirements of these gene products vary in different hosts and that the plasmid has evolved genetic strategies for their optimal expression.     

Molecular genetic analysis of bacterial plasmid promiscuity

The molecular genetic basis of the promiscuity of the wide host range conjugative IncP-1 alpha plasmids has been investigated by transposon mutagenesis and by the construction of minireplicons. The former has identified the origin of plasmid vegetative replication, the replication genes needed for initiation of plasmid replication, the DNA primase gene and a gene encoding a polypeptide of 52 kDa and mapping near the origin of plasmid transfer as all contributing to promiscuity. Minireplicon constructions confirm this conclusion but in addition establish that the origins of replication, transfer and other genomic regions produce complex interactions with respect to host range. DNA sequence analysis within the origin of replication show that the first direct repeat of the cluster of five repeats and sequences immediately 5' to it appear to be required in some (Escherichia coli) but not in other (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) hosts for plasmid replication.     

Molecular genetic analysis of bacterial plasmid promiscuity

Abstract The molecular genetic basis of the promiscuity of the wide host range conjugative IncP-1α plasmids has been investigated by transposon mutagenesis and by the construction of minireplicons. The former has identified the origin of plasmid vegetative replication, the replication genes needed for initiation of plasmid replication, the DNA primase gene and a gene encoding a polypeptide of 52 kDa and mapping near the origin of plasmid transfer as all contributing to promiscuity. Minireplicon constructions confirm this conclusion but in addition establish that the origins of replication, transfer and other genomic regions produce complex interactions with respect to host range. DNA sequence analysis within the origin of replication show that the first direct repeat of the cluster of five repeats and sequences immediately 5' to it appear to be required in some ( Escherichia coli ) but not in other ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa ) hosts for plasmid replication.     

ARS replication during the yeast S phase

A 1.45 kb circular plasmid derived from yeast chromosome IV contains the autonomous replication element called ARS1. Isotope density transfer experiments show that each plasmid molecule replicates once each S phase, with initiation depending on two genetically defined steps required for nuclear DNA replication. A density transfer experiment with synchronized cells demonstrates that the ARS1 plasmid population replicates early in the S phase. The sequences adjacent to ARS1 on chromosome IV also initiate replication early, suggesting that the ARS1 plasmid contains information which determines its time of replication. The times of replication for two other yeast chromosome sequences, ARS2 and a sequence referred to as 1OZ, indicate that the temporal order of replication is ARS1 leads to ARS2 leads to 1OZ. These experiments show directly that specific chromosome regions replicate at specific times during the yeast S phase. If ARS elements are origins of chromosome replication, then the experiment reveals times of activation for two origins.     

Conjugative DNA synthesis: R1162 and the question of rolling-circle replication

Strand-replacement synthesis during conjugative mating has been characterized by introducing into donor cells R1162 plasmid DNA containing a base-pair mismatch. Conjugative synthesis in donors occurs in the absence of vegetative plasmid replication, but with a lag between rounds of transfer, and with most strands being initiated at the normal site within the replicative origin. These characteristics argue against the idea that multiple plasmid copies are generated for successive rounds of transfer by rolling-circle replication. However, the R1162 relaxase protein can process molecules containing multiple transfer origins in the manner expected for the conversion of single-strand multimers, generated by rolling-circle replication, to unit-length molecules. This capability appears to be the result of a secondary cleavage reaction carried out by the protein. The possibility is raised that the processing of molecules with more than one origin of transfer might be a repair mechanism directed against adventitious DNA synthesis during transfer.     

Regulatory circuits for plasmid survival

Bacterial plasmids deploy a diverse range of regulatory mechanisms to control expression of the functions they need to survive in the host population. Understanding of the mechanisms by which autoregulatory circuits control plasmid survival functions, in particular plasmid replication, has been advanced by recent studies. At a molecular level, structural understanding of how certain antisense RNAs control replication and stability functions is almost complete. Control circuits linking plasmid transfer functions to the status of the bacterial population have been dissected, uncovering a complex and hierarchical organisation. Coordinate or global regulation of plasmid replication, transfer and stable maintenance functions is becoming apparent across a range of plasmid families.     

Conjugal Deoxyribonucleic Acid Replication by Escherichia coli K-12: Effect of Chloramphenicol and Rifampin

Conjugal replication of R64-11 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and the concomitant transfer of R64-11 DNA to DNA-deficient minicells are dependent upon processes that are inhibited by rifampin and chloramphenicol. The rifampin-sensitive product is not present in vegetatively growing cells and is needed to initiate both conjugal DNA replication in donor cells and DNA transfer to recipient minicells. If the rifampin-sensitive product is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule (rather than RNA polymerase itself), our data indicate that this RNA species required for initiation of conjugal activity does not need to be translated into a protein product. The chloramphenicol-sensitive product(s) is present in vegetatively growing cells in sufficient quantity to permit most donor cells to carry out one round of plasmid conjugal replication and transfer. The initiation of second and subsequent rounds of conjugal replication and transfer are dependent on the synthesis of both the rifampin-sensitive and chloramphenicol-sensitive products. Our results demonstrate a correspondence between the amount of conjugal DNA replication in the donor and the amount of DNA transferred to recipient minicells under all conditions, and therefore suggest but do not prove that plasmid transfer is dependent on conjugal DNA replication. The results also add additional proof that R64-11 transfer to minicells is discontinuous. All of these results are discussed in regard to further refinements of old models for the mechanism of conjugal transfer as well as a more radical departure from current dogma.     

A Monte Carlo simulation of plasmid replication during the bacterial division cycle

Plasmids have cell cycle replication patterns that need to be considered in models of their replication dynamics. To compare current theories for control of plasmid replication with experimental data for timing of plasmid replication with the cell cycle, a Monte Carlo simulation of plasmid replication and partition was developed. High-copy plasmid replication was simulated by incorporating equations previously developed from the known molecular biology of ColE1-type plasmids into the cell-cycle simulation. Two types of molecular mechanisms for low-copy plasmid replication were tested: accumulation of an initiator protein in proportion to cell mass and binding of the plasmid origin to the cell membrane. The low-copy plasmids were partitioned actively, with a specific mechanism to mediate the transfer from mother to daughter cells, whereas the high-copy plasmids were partitioned passively with cell mass.The simulation results and experimental data demonstrate cell-cycle-specific replication for the low-copy F plasmid and cell-cycle-independent replication for the high-copy pBR322, ColBM, and R6K plasmids. The simulation results indicate that synchronous replication at multiple plasmid origins is critical for the cell-cycle-specific pattern observed in rapidly growing cells. Variability in the synchrony of initiation of multiple plasmid origins give rise to a cell-cycle-independent pattern and is offered as a plausible explanation for the controversy surrounding the replication pattern of the low-copy plasmids. A comparison of experimental data and simulation results for the low-copy F plasmid at several growth rates indicates that either initiation mechanism would be sufficient to explain the timing of replication with the cell cycle. The simulation results also demonstrate that, although cell-cycle-specific and cell-cycle independent replication patterns give rise to very different gene-expression patterns during short induction periods in age-selected populations, long-term expression of genes encoded on low-copy and high-copy plasmids in exponentially growing cells have nearly the same patterns. These results may be important for the future use of low-copy plasmids as expression vectors and validate the use of simpler models for high-copy plasmids that do not consider cell-cycle phenomena. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Klebsiella pneumoniae origin of replication (oriC) is not active in Caulobacter crescentus, Pseudomonas putida, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

A DNA fragment carrying genes encoding the conjugal transfer system of the broad host range plasmid RK2 was inserted into a plasmid carrying the chromosomal origin of replication (oriC) from Klebsiella pneumoniae. The resulting plasmid, pEON1, was readily transferred between gram-negative bacteria and carried two potential origins of replication: oriC and the replication origin from pBR322 (oriPBR). Although pEON1 could be transferred to Caulobacter crescentus, Pseudomonas putida, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides, pEON1 was not maintained in these strains. However, an oriC-containing plasmid was maintained in these nonenteric bacteria when an RK2 origin of replication was present on the plasmid. Thus, the inability of pEON1 to be established in a nonenteric bacterium represents a failure of oriC to function as an origin of replication rather than a toxic effect of oriC. The initiation potential of the chromosomal origin of replication from K. pneumoniae appears to be realized only in enteric bacteria.     

链霉菌小质粒pDYM4.3k的复制与接合转移

【目的】链霉菌(Streptomyces)X335是从西藏高原活拉山口分离到的,其中含有一个大小为4.3 kb的环型质粒pDYM4.3k。克隆、测序和分析pDYM4.3k,以及鉴定复制和接合转移的基因。【方法】通过克隆和引物延伸获得pDYM4.3k的全序列,利用比对分析推测基因的功能,通过Southern杂交检测复制中间体,利用平板杂交实验证明接合转移功能。【结果】克隆和测序获得了全长为4346 bp的pDYM4.3k序列,预测仅有3个基因,其中1个基因与链霉菌主要接合转移基因同源,另外2个为功能未知。鉴定新的基因orf1及其上游的约300 bp构成了质粒的基本复制区域。检测到质粒存在单链的复制中间体,表明它以滚环方式进行复制。实验证明pDYM4.3k在变铅青链霉菌(Streptomyces lividans)中具有接合转移功能。【结论】质粒pDYM4.3k可以滚环方式进行复制和在链霉菌之间进行接合转移。这是目前报道的最小的、具有游离复制和接合转移功能的链霉菌质粒。     

Genetic organization of the broad-host-range IncP-1 plasmid R751.

We have identified regions encoding conjugal transfer, plasmid maintenance, and trimethoprim resistance on the IncP-1 plasmid R751 by complementation tests with cloned deoxyribonucleic acid fragments and self-replicating derivatives constructed in vitro. The genes for replication and transfer show a scattered organization similar to that previously determined for RK2, another IncP-1 plasmid. Derivatives of RK2 are able to complement R751 derivatives defective in these functions. Restriction enzyme cleavage sites in R751 deoxyribonucleic acid are clustered in regions of the plasmid physical map. Neither region is required for plasmid maintenance or transfer, although one determines resistance to trimethoprim. A similar clustering of cleavage sites is seen with RK2, which nevertheless has a very different restriction map.     

Location of two relaxation nick sites in R6K and single sites in pSC101 and RSF1010 close to origins of vegetative replication: implication for conjugal transfer of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid.

A nick-labeling method has been used to localize the relaxation complex nick sites in three plasmids (pSC101, RSF1010, and R6K) that differ markedly in their host range, deoxyribonucleic acid replication, and conjugal transfer properties. Single specific relaxation sites were located in pSC101 and RSF1010, but surprisingly two distinct sites could be identified in the bi-origin plasmid R6K. In all cases, relaxation nick sites, which are thought to be origins of plasmid conjugal transfer, were shown to be located near origins of vegetative replication. This result suggests a functional interaction between these two types of deoxyribonucleic acid loci, and we speculate here that application events initiated at origins of replication may constitute an integral part of the process of conjugal transfer of small plasmids among bacteria. Consistent with this proposal is the finding that inhibition of vegetative replication of the pSC101 and ColE1 plasmids results in a severe inhibition of their conjugal transfer ability.     

植物乳杆菌KLDS1.0728质粒p141的分子分析

对分离自植物乳杆菌KLDS1.0728的质粒p141进行了全序列测定,结果显示,该质粒全长为3597bp,平均G+Cmol%值为38%,并利用DNAMAN6.0软件得到该质粒限制性内切酶图谱。经NCBI网站ORFFinder软件分析确定其编码序列即ORF为15个,通过与公共数据库比对,发现可以识别功能的ORF有2个,其中包括质粒复制所必需的rep基因,p141的rep基因与已知序列的植物乳杆菌WCFS1内源质粒pWCFS101以及植物乳杆菌内源质粒pM4的复制蛋白基因相似性高达91%。根据rep基因的相似性比较,判断p141的复制模式归属于RCR模式的GroupIII组,即pC194家族。另外,还发现质粒p141中存在mob基因,表明该质粒具有水平转移能力。但没有发现Tn4430转座子以及转座酶基因topl和topA,所以可以判断该质粒的基因比较稳定。此外,还发现该质粒序列中存在一定的与质粒复制和转移调控以及蛋白质表达等有关的重复序列,其对调控质粒的拷贝数有一定意义。     

Replication of the Streptomyces plasmid pSN22 through single-stranded intermediates

The replication of the 11 kb conjugative multicopy Streptomyces plasmid pSN22 was analyzed. Mutation and complementation analyses indicated that the minimal region essential for plasmid replication was located on a 1.9 kb fragment of pSN22, containing a trans-acting element encoding a replication protein and a cis-acting sequence acting as a replication origin. Southern hybridization showed that minimal replicon plasmids accumulated much more single-stranded plasmid molecules than did wild-type pSN22. Only one strand was accumulated. A 500 by fragment from the pSN22 transfer region was identified which reduced the relative amount of single-stranded DNA, when added in the native orientation to minimal replicon plasmids. This 500 by DNA sequence may be an origin for second-strand synthesis. It had no effect on the efficiency of co-transformation, plasmid incompatibility, or stability. The results indicate that pSN22 replicates via single-stranded intermediates by a rolling circle mechanism.     

红球菌线型质粒pNSL1的克隆、测序和复制区的鉴定

从红球菌NS1中检测到两个线型质粒pNSL1和pNSL2。【目的】克隆、测序和分析pNSL1,并鉴定质粒的复制区。【方法】利用脉冲电泳方法从凝胶中回收大量的质粒DNA,进行鸟枪法克隆、测序和拼接,通过生物信息学分析和实验证明质粒的自主复制区。【结果】克隆、测序和拼接获得pNSL1全长为117252bp的序列,包括在红球菌中保守的1282bp端粒的序列。序列预测含有103个蛋白编码区,包括质粒的复制、分配、转移等功能基因。将pNSL1中一个与分枝杆菌质粒的复制基因同源的pNSL1.038及其上游的767bp非编码序列克隆到大肠杆菌质粒,电击转化珊瑚诺卡氏菌4.1037,获得了抗性转化子。【结论】克隆、测序了全长的线型质粒pNSL1,鉴定了质粒的复制区。     

Host range of conjugation and replication functions of the Escherichia coli sex plasmid Flac. Comparison with the broad host-range plasmid RK2

The Escherichia coli conjugative plasmid Flac has a restricted host range, in that transfer to Pseudomonas aeruginosa is not detectable. The molecular basis for this host-range restriction was studied by a separate comparison of the replication and conjugation systems of Flac with those of the broad host-range plasmid RK2. The origin of transfer of Flac (oriT_F) was cloned onto a small RK2 replicon. The hybrid plasmid, pDG2906, could be transferred efficiently by both the Flac and RK2 conjugation systems to an E. coli recipient. The Flac conjugation system was able to transfer pDG2906 to P. aeruginosa, but only at a frequency of 10^?4 of that of the RK2 conjugation system. A second hybrid plasmid, containing the replication region of Flac with the transfer region of RK2, could not be established in P. aeruginosa. These results show that Flac is able to mediate low frequency transfer to P. aeruginosa, and that the lack of replication in Pseudomonas is ultimately responsible for the restricted host range.     

Replication of the Streptomyces plasmid pSN22 through single-stranded intermediates

The replication of the 11 kb conjugative multicopy Streptomyces plasmid pSN22 was analyzed. Mutation and complementation analyses indicated that the minimal region essential for plasmid replication was located on a 1.9 kb fragment of pSN22, containing a trans-acting element encoding a replication protein and a cis-acting sequence acting as a replication origin. Southern hybridization showed that minimal replicon plasmids accumulated much more single-stranded plasmid molecules than did wild-type pSN22. Only one strand was accumulated. A 500 by fragment from the pSN22 transfer region was identified which reduced the relative amount of single-stranded DNA, when added in the native orientation to minimal replicon plasmids. This 500 by DNA sequence may be an origin for second-strand synthesis. It had no effect on the efficiency of co-transformation, plasmid incompatibility, or stability. The results indicate that pSN22 replicates via single-stranded intermediates by a rolling circle mechanism.