Efficient plasmid mobilization by pIP501 in Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis.
pIP501 is a streptococcal conjugative plasmid which can be transmitted among numerous gram-positive strains. To identify a minimal mobilization (mob) locus of pIP501, DNA fragments of pIP501 were cloned into nonconjugative target plasmids and tested for mobilization by pIP501. We show that nonmobilizable plasmids containing a specific fragment of pIP501 are transmitted at high frequencies between Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strains if transfer (tra) functions are provided in trans by a pIP501 derivative. Independent transfer of the mobilized plasmid was observed in up to 44% of transconjugants. A 2.2-kb segment containing mob was sequenced. This DNA segment is characterized by three palindromes (palI, palII, and palIII) and a 202-amino-acid open reading frame (ORFX) of unknown function. The smallest DNA fragment conferring high frequency mobilization was localized to a 1.0-kb region (extending from pIP501 coordinates 3.60 to 4.60 on the 30.2-kb map) which contains palI (delta G = -27 kcal/mol [ca. -110,000 J/mol]). A 26-bp sequence identical to palI is present on pIP501, upstream of the plasmid copy control region. Further homologies with the palI sequence are also found with the related Enterococcus faecalis conjugative plasmid pAM beta 1. The region containing mob maps outside the previously described segment mediating pIP501 conjugation. Our results with recA strains indicate that the mob site is a hot spot for cointegrate formation.
Langella
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P
Laboratoire de Génétique Microbienne, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Jouy en Josas, France.
Le Loir
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Y
Ehrlich
S D
SD
Gruss
A
A
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D013294:Lactococcus lactis / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C083180:Mob protein, Bacteria; D011938:Rec A Recombinases