Identification of new sex pheromone plasmids inEnterococcus faecalis

Abstract

We describe the identification of the following new sex pheromone plasmids in Enterococcus faecalis: a haemolysin-bacteriocin plasmid, pIP964; three R plasmids, pIP1017, pIP1438 and pIP1440; and two cryptic conjugative plasmids, pIP1141 and pMV120. The identification was based on the formation of cell aggregates on filter membranes during conjugation, on efficient transfer in broth matings, and on a positive clumping reaction of cells carrying these plasmids. In addition these plasmids hybridized with DNA probes specific for sex pheromone-induced structural genes encoding surface proteins required for conjugative transfer of the plasmids.

Biochemical, immunological and ultrastructural characterization of aggregation substances encoded by Enterococcus faeclis sex‐pheromone plasmids

“…We show that the adhesin has an unusual migration behavior in SDSPAGE ; preliminary data indicate that Asal might be a glycoprotein. An immunological comparison of aggregation substances encoded by all known Wirth et al, 1992) sexpheromone plasmids corroborates our DNA data for structural genes of aggregation substances Galli et al, 1992).…”

“…Bacterial strains, plasmids and growth conditions E. fueculis strains OGlX, OG1-10, and JH2-2 have been described earlier (Ike et al, 1983;Dunny et al, 1979;Jacob and Hobbs, 1974). References for the 18 different sex-pheromone plasmids identified up to now are listed in Clewell and Weaver (1989;pAD1, pPD1, pAM373, pCF10, pAMyl, pAMy2, pAMy3, pOB1, pJH2, pBEM10, pAM323 and pAM324) and Wirth et al [1992; pIP964 (which is a secondary isolate of pJH2), pIP1017, pIP1438, pIP1440, pIP1141, pMV120 and pX981.…”

“…References for the 18 different sex-pheromone plasmids identified up to now are listed in Clewell and Weaver (1989;pAD1, pPD1, pAM373, pCF10, pAMyl, pAMy2, pAMy3, pOB1, pJH2, pBEM10, pAM323 and pAM324) and Wirth et al [1992; pIP964 (which is a secondary isolate of pJH2), pIP1017, pIP1438, pIP1440, pIP1141, pMV120 and pX981.…”

Pheromone-inducible conjugation in Enterococcus faecalis: interbacterial and host-parasite chemical communication

“…Different plasmids encode responses to distinct pheromones, and the specificities of pheromone response generally correspond to the incompatibility groups of pheromone-inducible conjugative plasmids (70). Biochemical identification and analysis of pheromones and pheromone inhibitor peptides (see below) carried out in the laboratory of A. Suzuki at the University of Tokyo in collaboration with the Clewell group and with our group have provided the molecular structures of several of these molecules, as reviewed in references 10 and 11.…”

“…The prgW, -P, and -O genes are homologous to repA, -B, and -C genes of pAD1; in addition, a putative noncoding partitioning region that is very similar to the PAR region of PAD1 recently described by Weaver et al (67,68) has been identified. The identification of potential multifuctional gene products in this region, such as PrgW, is interesting to consider in light of previous findings linking pheromones to incompatibility (70) and replication as well as transfer (67). The ultimate question with regard to pheromone induction is how the binding of the molecule to the donor cell actually results in the response.…”