Spread and survival of promiscuous IncP-1 plasmids.

Abstract

Plasmids classified to the IncP-1 incompatibility group belong to the most stably maintained mobile elements among low copy number plasmids known to date. The remarkable persistence is achieved by various tightly controlled stability mechanisms like active partitioning, efficient conjugative transfer system, killing of plasmid-free segregants and multimer resolution. The unique feature of IncP-1 plasmids is the central control operon coding for global regulators which control the expression of genes involved in vegetative replication, stable maintenance and conjugative transfer. The multivalent regulatory network provides means for coordinated expression of all plasmid functions. The current state of knowledge about two fully sequenced plasmids RK2 and R751, representatives of the IncP-1alpha and IncP-1beta subgroups, is presented.

Genomics of IncP-1 antibiotic resistance plasmids isolated from wastewater treatment plants provides evidence for a widely accessible drug resistance gene pool

“…Inheritance of resistance determinants is ensured by plasmid encoded stabilization modules Plasmids usually encode stabilization systems ensuring their stable maintenance and inheritance. In principle, three different stabilization mechanisms have been described so far: (1) active partitioning of plasmid copies into daughter cells during cell division (PAR), (2) postsegregational-killing of plasmid-free segregants (PSK) and (3) resolution of plasmid multimers (MRS), (Zielenkiewicz & Ceglowski, 2001;Adamczyk & Jagura-Burdzy, 2003).…”

“…Subsequently, rolling-circle transfer-replication possibly involving TraC-mediated priming is initiated. The relaxosome complex is then guided to the mating channel by the so-called coupling protein TraG (VirD4 homolog) which interacts with the cytoplasmatic face of the secretion apparatus (Pansegrau & Lanka, 1996;Adamczyk & Jagura-Burdzy, 2003;Gomis-Rüth et al, 2004). Functions of other tra gene products are not precisely known.…”

“…IncP-1 plasmid functions are co-ordinately regulated to minimize the cost to their host IncP-1 plasmids encode regulatory elements facilitating coordinate control of plasmid functions such as vegetative replication, copy number control, incompatibility and plasmid-transfer. The regulatory network of IncP-1 plasmids has been studied in detail and was recently reviewed (Thomas, 2000a;Adamczyk & Jagura-Burdzy, 2003). Therefore the description here is limited to some general considerations.…”

Variation in permissiveness for broad-host-range plasmids among genetically indistinguishable isolates of Dickeya sp. from a small field plot

“…Plasmids of the incompatibility group IncP-1 are the most promiscuous of the broad-host-range plasmids characterized to date (Adamczyk & Jagura-Burdzy, 2003). They are defined by a set of conserved backbone modules coding for replication, maintenance and transfer functions.…”

Metagenomic Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Associated with Liquid and Dewatered Biosolids

“…Exogenous isolation of plasmids has been previously used as a method of isolating and identifying components of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) thought to contain ARGs in other media, such as agricultural and polluted soils, swine manure, and sludges (Andremont et al, 1985;Top et al, 1994;Tennstedt et al, 2003;Heuer et al, 2012;Rahube and Yost, 2012). Alternatively, known plasmids can be directly quantified in environmental samples; for example, Jechalke et al (2013) examined the abundance of conserved sequences targeting the IncP-1 plasmid (Adamczyk and Jagura-Burdzy, 2003). A few studies have focused on identifying ARGs using high-throughput sequencing of the plasmid metagenome in bacteria from activated sludge and final effluent from a wastewater treatment plant (Tennstedt et al, 2003;Schlüter et al, 2008;Szczepanowski et al, 2009).…”