title: Comparative biology of IncQ and IncQ-like plasmids.
abstract: Plasmids belonging to Escherichia coli incompatibility group Q are relatively small (approximately 5 to 15 kb) and able to replicate in a remarkably broad range of bacterial hosts. These include gram-positive bacteria such as Brevibacterium and Mycobacterium and gram-negative bacteria such as Agrobacterium, Desulfovibrio, and cyanobacteria. These plasmids are mobilized by several self-transmissible plasmids into an even more diverse range of organisms including yeasts, plants, and animal cells. IncQ plasmids are thus highly promiscuous. Recently, several IncQ-like plasmids have been isolated from bacteria found in environments as diverse as piggery manure and highly acidic commercial mineral biooxidation plants. These IncQ-like plasmids belong to different incompatibility groups but have similar broad-host-range replicons and mobilization properties to the IncQ plasmids. This review covers the ecology, classification, and evolution of IncQ and IncQ-like plasmids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Matieland 7602, South Africa. der@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Rawlings
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tietze
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018741:Replication Origin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008372:Manure; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; D004265:DNA Helicases