Cloning and sequence analysis of linear plasmid telomeres of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, has double-stranded linear plasmids with covalently closed ends. DNA at the ends, or telomeres, of two linear plasmids of B. burgdorferi strain B31 was examined. Telomeric sequences from both ends of a 16 kb linear plasmid and from one end of a 49 kb linear plasmid were cloned and sequenced. An 18 bp AT-rich inverted repeat was found at each end of the 16 kb linear plasmid. The sequences of the two ends of this plasmid were different beyond these short inverted terminal repeats. The cloned end of the 49 kb linear plasmid had sequence identity with one end of the 16 kb linear plasmid. The end sequence common to both plasmids contained a series of phased, short direct repeats and a 52 bp palindrome adjacent to a highly AT-rich region. These findings indicate that Borrelia linear plasmid telomeres have structural features different from those of other known replicons.     

游动双孢菌线型质粒pPR2的全序列测定及分析

[目的]获得游动双孢菌线型质粒pPR2的全序列,并揭示新型的端粒复制蛋白和可能的中间复制位点.[方法]用分段克隆的方法和序列拼接获得pPR2的全序列,利用软件分析端粒DNA的二级结构和可能的端粒复制蛋白,利用链霉菌原生质体转化的方法检测可能的中间复制的位点.[结果]pPR2全长为15520 bp,(G C)含量为68.1%.其端粒末端反向重复序列的长度为329 bp,不能像多数链霉菌的线型质粒那样能形成保守的"折返"的二级结构.pPR2虽然没有参与链霉菌端粒复制的保守的tap/tpg基因,但是pPR2.3c基因编码了一个双结构域蛋白,分别同链霉菌的端粒复制相关蛋白Tap和嗜血杆菌的解旋酶具有相似性.pPR2缺少典型的链霉菌重复序列-复制基因(iteron-rep)区段,将几乎覆盖全长pPR2的两段DNA进行克隆后,不能转化变铅青链霉菌.此外,pPR2基因还编码可能参与线型DNA复制的调控的单链结合蛋白(SSB)和与放线菌质粒接合转移相关的主要蛋白(Tva).[结论]pPR2是链霉菌之外的放线菌中最小的线型质粒,其序列在游动双孢菌属的线型质粒中是首次报道.pPR2可能具有新型的端粒复制的机制,其中pPR2.2c和pPR2.3c编码可能的端粒复制蛋白.     

Of ticks, mice and men: understanding the dual-host lifestyle of Lyme disease spirochaetes

In little more than 30 years, Lyme disease, which is caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi, has risen from relative obscurity to become a global public health problem and a prototype of an emerging infection. During this period, there has been an extraordinary accumulation of knowledge on the phylogenetic diversity, molecular biology, genetics and host interactions of B. burgdorferi. In this Review, we integrate this large body of information into a cohesive picture of the molecular and cellular events that transpire as Lyme disease spirochaetes transit between their arthropod and vertebrate hosts during the enzootic cycle.     

Replication at the telomeres of the Streptomyces linear plasmid pSLA2

The Streptomyces linear plasmid pSLA2 initiates DNA replication bidirectionally towards its telomeres from a site located near the centre of the molecule; at the telomeres, the recessed ends of lagging strands are filled in by non-displacing DNA synthesis. Here, we report experiments that test three proposed mechanisms for lagging-strand fill-in. We present data inconsistent with recombinational or terminal hairpin models for the formation of full-length duplex pSLA2 DNA. Instead, we find that deletions in short, distantly separated homologous palindromes in the leading-strand 3' overhang prevent propagation of linear pSLA2 DNA, implicating a mechanism of palindrome-mediated leading-strand fold-back in telomere replication. We further show that circularized pSLA2 DNA molecules are opened in vivo precisely at the terminal nucleotides of telomeres, generating functional linear replicons containing native telomeres covalently bound to a protein at their 5' DNA termini. Together, our results support a model in which pairing of multiple widely separated pSLA2 palindromes anchors the 3' end of the leading-strand overhang to a site near the overhang's base — providing a recognition site for terminal-protein-primed DNA synthesis and subsequent endonucleolytic processing. Thus, the replication of Streptomyces plasmid telomeres may have features in common with the mechanism proposed for telomere replication in autonomous parvoviruses.     

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of a linear DNA plasmid fromXanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma)

Extrachromosomal elements were found in a strain ofX. dendrorhous, and were characterized as linear DNA forming two well defined groups, pPh1 with 3 high-copy-number molecules, pPh11 (6.9 kb), pPh12 (5.7), pPh13 (4.7), and pPh2 with 2 low-copy-number molecules, pPh21 (3.6 kb), pPh22 (3.0). A 4077 bp fragment from pPh13 was cloned in pUC18 (pDK1) and sequenced (accession no. AJ 278 424). Seven putative ORF and some possible regulator sequences were defined.     

Telomeres: the beginnings and ends of eukaryotic chromosomes

The ends of eukaryotic chromosomes are called telomeres. This article provides a short history of telomere and telomerase research starting with the pioneering work of Muller and McClintock through the molecular era of telomere biology. These studies culminated in the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Critical findings that moved the field forward and that suggest directions for future research are emphasized.     

Complete nucleotide sequence and genetic organization of the 210-kilobase linear plasmid of Rhodococcus erythropolis BD2

The complete nucleotide sequence of the linear plasmid pBD2 from Rhodococcus erythropolis BD2 comprises 210,205 bp. Sequence analyses of pBD2 revealed 212 putative open reading frames (ORFs), 97 of which had an annotatable function. These ORFs could be assigned to six functional groups: plasmid replication and maintenance, transport and metalloresistance, catabolism, transposition, regulation, and protein modification. Many of the transposon-related sequences were found to flank the isopropylbenzene pathway genes. This finding together with the significant sequence similarities of the ipb genes to genes of the linear plasmid-encoded biphenyl pathway in other rhodococci suggests that the ipb genes were acquired via transposition events and subsequently distributed among the rhodococci via horizontal transfer.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of plasmid Rts1: implications for evolution of large plasmid genomes

Rts1, a large conjugative plasmid originally isolated from Proteus vulgaris, is a prototype for the IncT plasmids and exhibits pleiotropic thermosensitive phenotypes. Here we report the complete nucleotide sequence of Rts1. The genome is 217,182 bp in length and contains 300 potential open reading frames (ORFs). Among these, the products of 141 ORFs, including 9 previously identified genes, displayed significant sequence similarity to known proteins. The set of genes responsible for the conjugation function of Rts1 has been identified. A broad array of genes related to diverse processes of DNA metabolism were also identified. Of particular interest was the presence of tus-like genes that could be involved in replication termination. Inspection of the overall genome organization revealed that the Rts1 genome is composed of four large modules, providing an example of modular evolution of plasmid genomes.     

The complete nucleotide sequence of the bacteriocinogenic plasmid CloDF13

The complete nucleotide sequence of the bacteriocinogenic plasmid CloDF13 has been determined. The plasmid consists of 9957 base pairs (molecular weight 6.64 X 10(6] with a GC content of 54.4%. At this moment 16 identified biological functions can be assigned to the primary structure of the CloDF13 DNA. The functions include those of eight protein encoding genes, two untranslated RNA species, and six DNA sites. We discuss these functions in relation to the structure of CloDF13 DNA. For convenience we have divided the CloDF13 genome into five defined regions: region I (origin of vegetative replication, priming and control of replication, type I incompatibility), region II (cloacin DF13, cloacin immunity, cloacin release, cloacin operon control), region III (double-stranded DNA-phage interaction, type II incompatibility, multimer resolution), region IV (inhibition of male specific RNA phages and transfer of Flac), and region V (mobility proteins, basis of mobility).     

Complete nucleotide sequence and gene organization of the broad-host-range plasmid RSF1010

We present the complete nucleotide sequence of RSF1010, a naturally occurring broad-host-range plasmid belonging to the Escherichia coli incompatibility group Q and encoding resistance to streptomycin and sulfonamides. A molecule of RSF1010 DNA consists of 8684 bp and has a G + C content of 61%. Analysis of the distribution of translation start and stop codons in the sequence has revealed the existence of more than 40 open reading frames potentially capable of encoding polypeptides of 60 or more amino acids. To date, products of eleven such potential RSF1010 genes have been identified through the application of controlled expression vector systems, and for eight of them, the reading frame has been confirmed by N- and/or C-terminal amino acid sequence determinations on the purified proteins. The sequencing results are discussed in relation to the systems of replication, host range, conjugal mobilization and antibiotic resistance determinants associated with the RSF1010 plasmid.     

Complete nucleotide sequence of the Streptomyces lividans plasmid pIJ101 and correlation of the sequence with genetic properties.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the multicopy Streptomyces plasmid pIJ101 has been determined and correlated with previously published genetic data. The circular DNA molecule is 8,830 nucleotides in length and has a G+C composition of 72.98%. The use of a computer program, FRAME, enabled identification in the sequence of seven open reading frames, four of which, tra (621 amino acids [aa]), spdA (146 aa), spdB (274 aa), and kilB (177 aa), appear to be genes involved in plasmid transfer. At least two of the above genes are predicted to be transcribed by known promoters that are regulated in trans by the products of the korA (241 aa) and korB (80 aa) loci on the plasmid. The segment of the plasmid capable of autonomous replication contains one large open reading frame (rep; 450 aa) and a noncoding region presumed to be the origin of replication. Four other small (less than 90 aa) open reading frames are also present on the plasmid, although no function can be attributed to them. The sequence of the pIJ101 replication segment present in several widely used cloning vectors (e.g., pIJ350 and pIJ702) has also been determined, so that the complete nucleotide sequences of these vectors are now known.     

Complete nucleotide sequence and gene organization of plasmid NTP16.

We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the 8.3-kb multicopy plasmid NTP16 and produced a functional map of its gene organization. Sixty percent of the plasmid DNA comprises transposon-derived sequences; in the remaining 3320 bp, we have identified three protein coding regions. NTP16 has a ColE1-type replication system, a cis-acting stability locus and a mobilization system comprising an oriT site and one mobilization protein. The roles of the other two protein products of this plasmid are unknown, but they are possibly involved in the plasmid incompatibility system.     

The nucleotide sequence of the rep gene of cyanobacterial plasmid pSM1

The nucleotide sequence was established for the rep gene of plasmid pSM1 isolated from cyanobacterium Plectonema boryanum CALU 465. Both nucleotide sequence and the encoded amino acid sequences showed 98% homology to the corresponding sequences of small plasmids pPF1, pGL3, pPBS1, pBLX, and pPB1. An active center was identified in the replicative protein sequences.