title: RK2 plasmid dynamics in Caulobacter crescentus cells--two modes of DNA replication initiation.
abstract: Undisturbed plasmid dynamics is required for the stable maintenance of plasmid DNA in bacterial cells. In this work, we analysed subcellular localization, DNA synthesis and nucleoprotein complex formation of plasmid RK2 during the cell cycle of Caulobacter crescentus. Our microscopic observations showed asymmetrical distribution of plasmid RK2 foci between the two compartments of Caulobacter predivisional cells, resulting in asymmetrical allocation of plasmids to progeny cells. Moreover, using a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method, we estimated that multiple plasmid particles form a single fluorescent focus and that the number of plasmids per focus is approximately equal in both swarmer and predivisional Caulobacter cells. Analysis of the dynamics of TrfA-oriV complex formation during the Caulobacter cell cycle revealed that TrfA binds oriV primarily during the G1 phase, however, plasmid DNA synthesis occurs during the S and G2 phases of the Caulobacter cell cycle. Both in vitro and in vivo analysis of RK2 replication initiation in C. crescentus cells demonstrated that it is independent of the Caulobacter DnaA protein in the presence of the longer version of TrfA protein, TrfA-44. However, in vivo stability tests of plasmid RK2 derivatives suggested that a DnaA-dependent mode of plasmid replication initiation is also possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, ul. Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wegrzyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, ul. Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Witosinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, ul. Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schweiger
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, ul. Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bury
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Life Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jenal
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, ul. Kladki 24, 80-822 Gdansk, Poland.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Konieczny
mesh_terms: D016935:Caulobacter crescentus / Q000235:genetics*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004261:DNA Replication; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010957:Plasmids; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial