The RepA_N Replicons of Gram-positive Bacteria: a Family of Broadly Distributed but Narrow Host Range Plasmids

Overview

Journal Plasmid

Date 2008 Dec 23

PMID 19100285

Citations 31

Authors

Keith E Weaver

Stephen M Kwong

Neville Firth

Maria Victoria Francia

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The pheromone-responsive conjugative plasmids of Enterococcus faecalis and the multiresistance plasmids pSK1 and pSK41 of Staphylococcus aureus are among the best studied plasmids native to Gram-positive bacteria. Although these plasmids seem largely restricted to their native hosts, protein sequence comparison of their replication initiator proteins indicates that they are clearly related. Homology searches indicate that these replicons are representatives of a large family of plasmids and a few phage that are widespread among the low G+C Gram-positive bacteria. We propose to name this family the RepA_N family of replicons after the annotated conserved domain that the initiator protein contains. Detailed sequence comparisons indicate that the initiator protein phylogeny is largely congruent with that of the host, suggesting that the replicons have evolved along with their current hosts and that intergeneric transfer has been rare. However, related proteins were identified on chromosomal regions bearing characteristics indicative of ICE elements, and the phylogeny of these proteins displayed evidence of more frequent intergeneric transfer. Comparison of stability determinants associated with the RepA_N replicons suggests that they have a modular evolution as has been observed in other plasmid families.

Citing Articles

Private and well drinking water are reservoirs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria.

Alawi M, Smyth C, Drissner D, Zimmerer A, Leupold D, Muller D NPJ Antimicrob Resist. 2025; 2(1):7.

PMID: 39843970 PMC: 11721118. DOI: 10.1038/s44259-024-00024-9.

High prevalence and plasmidome diversity of -positive enterococci in a Shenzhen community, China.

Fu Y, Deng Z, Shen Y, Wei W, Xiang Q, Liu Z Front Microbiol. 2025; 15:1505107.

PMID: 39760083 PMC: 11695379. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1505107.

Effect of TraN key residues involved in DNA binding on pIP501 transfer rates in .

Michaelis C, Berger T, Kuhlmann K, Ghulam R, Petrowitsch L, Besora Vecino M Front Mol Biosci. 2024; 11:1268647.

PMID: 38380428 PMC: 10877727. DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1268647.

Polyether ionophore resistance in a one health perspective.

Frederiksen R, Slettemeas J, Granstad S, Lagesen K, Pikkemaat M, Urdahl A Front Microbiol. 2024; 15:1347490.

PMID: 38351920 PMC: 10863045. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1347490.

Phylogeny, Virulence, and Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Profiles of Isolated from Australian Feedlot Cattle and Their Significance to Public and Environmental Health.

Messele Y, Trott D, Hasoon M, Veltman T, McMeniman J, Kidd S Antibiotics (Basel). 2023; 12(7).

PMID: 37508218 PMC: 10376260. DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12071122.

References

Massidda O, Mingoia M, Fadda D, Whalen M, Montanari M, Varaldo P . Analysis of the beta-lactamase plasmid of borderline methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus: focus on bla complex genes and cadmium resistance determinants cadD and cadX. Plasmid. 2005; 55(2):114-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2005.08.001. View

Clewell D . Properties of Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pAD1, a member of a widely disseminated family of pheromone-responding, conjugative, virulence elements encoding cytolysin. Plasmid. 2007; 58(3):205-27. DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2007.05.001. View

Stanley E, Walsh L, van der Zwet A, Fitzgerald G, van Sinderen D . Identification of four loci isolated from two Streptococcus thermophilus phage genomes responsible for mediating bacteriophage resistance. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2000; 182(2):271-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2000.tb08907.x. View

Tinsley E, Naqvi A, Bourgogne A, Koehler T, Khan S . Isolation of a minireplicon of the virulence plasmid pXO2 of Bacillus anthracis and characterization of the plasmid-encoded RepS replication protein. J Bacteriol. 2004; 186(9):2717-23. PMC: 387817. DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.9.2717-2723.2004. View

Kwong S, Skurray R, Firth N . Staphylococcus aureus multiresistance plasmid pSK41: analysis of the replication region, initiator protein binding and antisense RNA regulation. Mol Microbiol. 2004; 51(2):497-509. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03843.x. View

Williams L, Detter C, Barry K, Lapidus A, Summers A . Facile recovery of individual high-molecular-weight, low-copy-number natural plasmids for genomic sequencing. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006; 72(7):4899-906. PMC: 1489313. DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00354-06. View

Sunde M, Steinum T, Sidhu M, Sorum H . Organization of the antiseptic resistance gene qacA and Tn552-related beta-lactamase genes in multidrug- resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus strains of animal and human origins. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2002; 46(11):3606-12. PMC: 128698. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.46.11.3606-3612.2002. View

Schumacher M, Glover T, Brzoska A, Jensen S, Dunham T, Skurray R . Segrosome structure revealed by a complex of ParR with centromere DNA. Nature. 2007; 450(7173):1268-71. DOI: 10.1038/nature06392. View

Romero P, Lopez R, Garcia E . Genomic organization and molecular analysis of the inducible prophage EJ-1, a mosaic myovirus from an atypical pneumococcus. Virology. 2004; 322(2):239-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2004.01.029. View

10.

Simpson A, Skurray R, Firth N . A single gene on the staphylococcal multiresistance plasmid pSK1 encodes a novel partitioning system. J Bacteriol. 2003; 185(7):2143-52. PMC: 151481. DOI: 10.1128/JB.185.7.2143-2152.2003. View

11.

Thomas C . Paradigms of plasmid organization. Mol Microbiol. 2000; 37(3):485-91. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.02006.x. View

12.

Yazdankhah S, Asli A, Sorum H, Oppegaard H, Sunde M . Fusidic acid resistance, mediated by fusB, in bovine coagulase-negative staphylococci. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2006; 58(6):1254-6. DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkl418. View

13.

Konieczny I . Strategies for helicase recruitment and loading in bacteria. EMBO Rep. 2003; 4(1):37-41. PMC: 1315803. DOI: 10.1038/sj.embor.embor703. View

14.

Takiguchi R, Hashiba H, Aoyama K, Ishii S . Complete nucleotide sequence and characterization of a cryptic plasmid from Lactobacillus helveticus subsp. jugurti. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1989; 55(6):1653-5. PMC: 202923. DOI: 10.1128/aem.55.6.1653-1655.1989. View

15.

Dmowski M, Sitkiewicz I, Ceglowski P . Characterization of a novel partition system encoded by the delta and omega genes from the streptococcal plasmid pSM19035. J Bacteriol. 2006; 188(12):4362-72. PMC: 1482978. DOI: 10.1128/JB.01922-05. View

16.

Heidrich N, Brantl S . Antisense RNA-mediated transcriptional attenuation in plasmid pIP501: the simultaneous interaction between two complementary loop pairs is required for efficient inhibition by the antisense RNA. Microbiology (Reading). 2007; 153(Pt 2):420-427. DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.2006/002329-0. View

17.

Lin C, Chung T . Cloning of erythromycin-resistance determinants and replication origins from indigenous plasmids of Lactobacillus reuteri for potential use in construction of cloning vectors. Plasmid. 1999; 42(1):31-41. DOI: 10.1006/plas.1999.1402. View

18.

Kwong S, Skurray R, Firth N . Replication control of staphylococcal multiresistance plasmid pSK41: an antisense RNA mediates dual-level regulation of Rep expression. J Bacteriol. 2006; 188(12):4404-12. PMC: 1482958. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00030-06. View

19.

Kearney K, Fitzgerald G, Seegers J . Identification and characterization of an active plasmid partition mechanism for the novel Lactococcus lactis plasmid pCI2000. J Bacteriol. 1999; 182(1):30-7. PMC: 94236. DOI: 10.1128/JB.182.1.30-37.2000. View

20.

ODriscoll J, Glynn F, Fitzgerald G, Van Sinderen D . Sequence analysis of the lactococcal plasmid pNP40: a mobile replicon for coping with environmental hazards. J Bacteriol. 2006; 188(18):6629-39. PMC: 1595478. DOI: 10.1128/JB.00672-06. View