The RepA_N replicons of Gram-positive bacteria: a family of broadly distributed but narrow host range plasmids.

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 congrue

SUBMITTER: Weaver KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2652615 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature