title: Analysis of the traLEKBP sequence and the TraP protein from three F-like plasmids: F, R100-1 and ColB2.
abstract: The sequence of a region of the F plasmid containing the traLEKBP genes involved in plasmid transfer was compared to the equivalent regions of two IncFII plasmids, R100-1 and ColB2. The traLEK gene products of all three plasmids were virtually identical, with the most changes occurring in TraE. The TraB genes were also nearly identical except for an 11-codon extension at the 3' end of the R100-1 traB gene. The TraP protein of R100-l differed from those of F and ColB2 at its N terminus, while the ColB2 TraP protein contained a change of sequence in a predicted loop which was shown to be exposed in the periplasmic space by TnphoA mutagenesis. The effect of the altered TraP sequences was determined by complementing a traP mutant with clones expressing the traKBP genes of F, R100-1, and ColB2. The traP mutation in pOX38 (pOX38-traP474), a derivative of F, was found to have little effect on pilus production, pilus retraction, and filamentous phage growth and only a moderate effect on transfer. The transfer ability of pOX38-traP474 was shown to be affected by mutations in the rfa (lipopolysaccharide) locus and in ompA in the recipient cell in a manner similar to that for the wild-type pOX38-Km plasmid itself and could be complemented with the traP analogs from R100-1 and ColB2 to give an F-like phenotype. Thus, the TraP protein appears to play a minor role in conjugation and may interact with TraB, which varies in sequence along with TraP, in order to stabilize the proposed transmembrane complex formed by the tra operon products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Anthony
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kathir
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ippen-Ihler
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Frost
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C079092:MtrB protein, Bacteria; D009698:Nucleoproteins; D033903:Periplasmic Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; C490303:TraL protein, E coli; D014157:Transcription Factors; C082576:traB protein, Bacteria; C076276:traK protein, E coli