Project description:we examined the three different mature biofilms and searched the genes which promoted the rapid biofilm formation when their population hosing the plasmids. We investigate the global transcriptional differences between the non-conjugative or conjugative plasmid-carrying and plasmid-free strains.
Project description:Bacillus velezensis strain GH1-13 with a native conjugative plasmid (pBV71) is thought to be beneficial to the bacterium, although no information on its effects exists. Here we show that strain GH1-13 frequently lost the plasmid during normal growth conditions in a rich medium and changed the morphology and sensitivity to selenite and tellurite. Compared to the plasmid-cured cells, the wild-type and complemented cells exhibited multicellular behavior with the expression of conjugative type IV pili and regulatory Rap homologous genes that regulate the interconnection between conjugation and biofilm formation. Further omics-based analyses of morphogenesis, biofilm formation, and antibiotic synthesis suggest that the conjugative plasmid activates envelope stress responses in association with increased biosynthesis of extracellular polysaccharide and antibiotics for protective functions of the host during exponential phase.
Project description:Rhizobia are gram-negative bacteria able to establish a symbiotic interaction with leguminous plants. Due to their nitrogen fixing capacity, the study of these microorganisms has acquired great relevance for the agriculture. Rhizobia usually harbor many plasmids in their genome which can be transferred to other organisms by conjugation. Two main mechanisms of regulation of rhizobial plasmid transfer have been described: Quorum sensing (QS) and rctA/rctB system. Nevertheless, new genes and molecules that modulate conjugative transfer have been recently described, demonstrating that new actors can tightly regulate the process. In this work, by means of bioinformatics tools and molecular biology approaches, two hypothetical genes are identified as playing key roles in conjugative transfer. These genes are located between conjugative genes of plasmid pLPU83a from Rhizobium favelukesii LPU83, a plasmid that showed a conjugative transfer behavior depending on the genomic background. One of the two mentioned genes, rcgA, is essential for conjugation, while the other, rcgR, acts as an inhibitor of the process. In addition to introducing this new regulatory mechanism, we show evidence of the functions of these genes in different genomic backgrounds, and confirmed that homologous proteins from non-closely related organisms play the same function. These findings set up a cornerstone for a new molecular circuit of conjugative transfer of plasmids.
Project description:Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs), a.k.a., conjugative transposons, are mobile genetic elements involved in many biological processes, including the spread of antibiotic resistance. Unlike conjugative plasmids that are extra-chromosomal and replicate autonomously, ICEs are integrated in the chromosome and replicate passively during chromosomal replication. It is generally thought that ICEs do not replicate autonomously. We found that when induced, Bacillus subtilis ICEBs1 replicates as a plasmid. The ICEBs1 origin of transfer (oriT) served as the origin of replication and the conjugal DNA relaxase served as the replication initiation protein. Autonomous replication of ICEBs1 conferred genetic stability to the excised element, but was not required for mating. The B. subtilis helicase PcrA that mediates unwinding and replication of Gram-positive rolling circle replicating plasmids was required for ICEBs1 replication and mating. Nicking of oriT by the relaxase and unwinding by PcrA likely directs transfer of a single-strand of ICEBs1 into recipient cells. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Project description:We analyzed gene expression during conjugative transfer of plasmid RP4. Pairs of rifampicin-susceptible (RifS) and -resistance (RifR) strains of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 were conjugated for 10 minute on filter membrane in the presence of rifampicin to discriminate the expression changes in the donor and recipient cells.
Project description:The study aimed to characterize plasmids mediating carbepenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae in Pretoria, South Africa. We analysed 56 K. pneumoniae isolates collected from academic hospital around Pretoria. Based on phenotypic and molecular results of these isolates, 6 representative isolates were chosen for further analysis using long reads sequencing platform. We observed multidrug resistant phenotype in all these isolates, including resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracycline, phenicol, fosfomycin, floroquinolones, and beta-lactams antibiotics. The blaOXA-48/181 and blaNDM-1/7 were manily the plasmid-mediated carbapenemases responsible for carbapenem resistance in the K. pneumoniae isolates in these academic hospitals. These carbapenemase genes were mainly associated with plasmid replicon groups IncF, IncL/M, IncA/C, and IncX3. This study showed plasmid-mediated carbapenemase spread of blaOXA and blaNDM genes mediated by conjugative plasmids in Pretoria hospitals.
Project description:Tn insertion library was used for recipient for conjugative transfer of pESBL, F, and R388 plasmids. For both recipient and the resulting exconjugant libraries, Tn insertion sites were determined by illumina sequencing