F-like plasmid sequences in enteric bacteria of diverse origin, with implication of horizontal transfer and plasmid host range.
Seventy-eight bacterial isolates from human, animal, and plant hosts, representing eight species of the family Enterobacteriaceae, were screened for F-like plasmid sequences. Of the examined human Escherichia coli strains, 28% harbored one or two of the three F-like, RepFI replication regions, while 35% of the examined animal and all phytopathogenic strains harbored RepFIA-specific sequences. Comparative analysis of Salmonella, Shigella, Erwinia, and E. coli plasmid RepFI sequences showed 100% or very high homology, indicating frequent and recent interspecies gene transfer. The high incidence of RepFIA sequences in enteric bacterial species, including Klebsiella and Erwinia, showed that F-like plasmids are successful in avoiding natural barriers to establishment of horizontally transferred DNA and that in the natural environment conjugal transfer is efficient in diverse ecological niches.
Mulec
Janez
J
Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Starcic
Marjanca
M
Zgur-Bertok
Darja
D
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005144:F Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010957:Plasmids; D012093:Replicon; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C074164:RepE protein, E coli; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C065827:repF protein, Plasmid pE194