title: Evolution of compatible replicons of the related IncQ-like plasmids, pTC-F14 and pTF-FC2.
abstract: Two closely related but compatible plasmids of the IncQ-2alpha and IncQ-2beta groups, pTF-FC2 and pTC-F14, were discovered in two acidiphilic chemolithotrophic bacteria. Cross-complementation and cross-regulation experiments by the replication proteins were carried out to discover what changes were necessary when the plasmids evolved to produce two incompatibility groups. The requirement of a pTC-F14 oriV for a RepC DNA-binding protein was plasmid specific, whereas the requirement for the RepA helicase and RepB primase was less specific and could be complemented by the IncQ-2alpha plasmid pTC-FC2, and the IncQ-1beta plasmid pIE1108. None of the IncQ-1alpha plasmid replication proteins could complement the pTC-F14 oriV, and pTC-F14 and RSF1010 were incompatible. This incompatibility was associated with the RepC replication protein and was not due to iteron incompatibility. Replication of pTC-F14 took place from a 5.7 kb transcript that originated upstream of the mobB gene located within the region required for mobilization. A pTC-F14 mobB-lacZ fusion was regulated by the pTC-F14 repB gene product and was plasmid specific, as it was not regulated by the RepB proteins of pTF-FC2 or the IncQ-1alpha and IncQ-1beta plasmids. Plasmid pTC-F14 appears to have evolved independently functioning iterons and a plasmid-specific RepC-binding protein; it also has a major replication transcript that is independently regulated from that of pTF-FC2. However, the RepA and RepB proteins have the ability to function with either replicon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Murray N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Rawlings
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D018741:Replication Origin; D012093:Replicon / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins