title: Analysis of a transfer region from the staphylococcal conjugative plasmid pSK41.
abstract: The nucleotide sequence of a 14.4-kb region (tra) associated with DNA transfer of the staphylococcal conjugative plasmid, pSK41, has been determined. Analysis of the sequence revealed the presence of 15 genes potentially involved in the conjugative process. Polypeptide products likely to correspond to ten of these genes have been identified, of which one was found to be a lipoprotein. Comparison of the deduced tra products to the protein databases revealed several interesting similarities, one of which suggests an evolutionary link between this Gram+ bacterial conjugation system and DNA transfer systems of Gram- bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The nt sequence also provided an insight into the transcriptional organisation and regulation of the region.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Firth
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Ridgway
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Paulsen
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Skurray
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010675:Pheromones / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008074:Lipoproteins; D010675:Pheromones; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; C085510:transfer region protein, Staphylococcus