Transcription termination and antitermination are critical for the fitness and function of the integrative and conjugative element Tn916.

ABSTRACT: Premature expression of genes in mobile genetic elements can be detrimental to their bacterial hosts. Tn916, the founding member of a large family of integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs; aka conjugative transposons), confers tetracycline-resistance and is found in several Gram-positive bacterial species. We identified a transcription terminator near one end of Tn916 that functions as an insulator that prevents expression of element genes when Tn916 is integrated downstream from an active host promoter. The terminator blocked expression of Tn916 genes needed for unwinding and rolling circle replication of the element DNA, and loss of the terminator caused a fitness defect for the host cells. Further, we identified an element-encoded antiterminator (named canT for conjugation-associat

SUBMITTER: Wirachman ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11658703 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature