Hostname: page-component-54dcc4c588-rz4zl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-09-28T16:20:21.425Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Specificities of IncF plasmid conjugation genes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

Neil Willetts  and
John Maule
Neil Willetts
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Biology, Edinburgh University, May field Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR
John Maule
Affiliation:
Department of Molecular Biology, Edinburgh University, May field Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The conjugation regions of IncF plasmids are closely related in that they share extensive DNA homology, and that they specify related pili. Variations between individual conjugation gene products of different IncF plasmids have, however, been noted. We have extended these observations by carrying out a systematic survey of twelve such plasmids, to examine the numbers and the groupings of the plasmid-specific alleles of several genes required for conjugation and its control.

Using vector plasmids carrying cloned origins of transfer (oriT), four different specificities were recognized, and these were correlated with the specificities of the genes with products that may act at this site (traM, traY and traZ). The traY gene is the first gene of the major transfer operon, and is therefore located close to the site at which the traJ protein acts to induce expression of the operon: correspondingly, correlation was observed between the oriT/traMYZ and traJ specificities in most of the plasmids. In turn, traJ is negatively regulated by the finO and finP products acting in concert: the finO product was relatively non-specific, but six finP alleles were identified, again with specificities correlated with those of traJ. Our explanation for this unexpectedly large number of finP alleles derives from the concept that the finP product is an RNA molecule rather than a protein. Although the conjugative pili encoded by IncF plasmids are closely related, they confer different efficiencies of plating of the various F-specific bacteriophages. We distinguished four groups on this basis, presumably resulting from differences in the primary amino-acid sequences of the pilin proteins. These groups could be related to the surface exclusion system specificities, consistent with the hypothesis that surface exclusion acts at least in part by preventing interaction between the pilus and the recipient cell surface.

From these data, information about the evolutionary relationships between the twelve IncF plasmids can be deduced.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , February 1986 , pp. 1 - 11
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

References

Abdel-Monem, M., Lauppe, H. F., Kartenbeck, J., Durwald, H. & Hoffmann-Berling, H. (1977). Enzymatic unwinding of DNA. III. Mode of action of E. coli DNA unwinding enzyme. Journal of Molecular Biology 110, 667–685.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abdel-Monem, M., Taucher-Scholz, G. & Klinkert, M. Q. (1983). Identification of E. coli DNA helicase I as the traI gene product of the F sex factor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington 80, 4659–4663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Achtman, M., Kennedy, N. & Skurray, R. (1977). Cell-cell interactions in conjugating E. coli: role of traT protein in surface exclusion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington 74, 5104–5108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Achtman, M., Kusecek, B. & Timmis, K. N. (1978). tra cistrons and proteins encoded by the E. coli antibiotic resistance plasmid R6–5. Molecular and General Genetics 163, 169–179.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Achtman, M., Manning, P. A., Kusecek, B., Schwuchow, S. & Willetts, N. S. (1980). A genetic analysis of F sex factor cistrons needed for surface exclusion in E. coli. Journal of Molecular Biology 138, 779–795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Achtman, M., Willetts, N. & Clark, A. J. (1971). Beginning a genetic analysis of conjugational transfer determined by the F factor in E. coli by isolation and characterisation of transfer-deficient mutants. Journal of Bacteriology 106, 529–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Achtman, M., Willetts, N. & Clark, A. J. (1972). Conjugational complementation analysis of transfer-deficient mutants of Flac in E. coli. Journal of Bacteriology 110, 831–842.Google Scholar
Alfaro, G. & Willetts, N. S. (1972). The relationship between the transfer systems of some bacterial plasmids. Genetical Research 20, 279–289.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Armstrong, G. D., Frost, L. S., Sastry, P. A. & Paranchych, W. (1980). Comparative biochemical studies on F and EDP208 conjugative pili. Journal of Bacteriology 141, 333–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bachmann, B. J. (1972). Pedigrees of some mutant strains of E. coli K12. Bacteriological Reviews 36, 525–557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, D. E. (1980 a). Determination of pili by conjugative bacterial drug resistance plasmids of incompatibility groups B, C, H, J, K, M, V and X. Journal of Bacteriology 141, 828–837.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, D. E. (1980 b). Morphological and serological relationships of conjugative pili. Plasmid 4, 155–169.Google Scholar
Clowes, R. C., Hausmann, C., Nisioka, T. & Mitani, M. (1969). Genetic analysis of ColB factors and identification of composite circular molecules of R factors. Journal of General Microbiology 55, iv.Google ScholarPubMed
Datta, N. (1979). Plasmid classification: incompatibility grouping. In Plasmids of Medical, Environmental and Commerical Importance (ed. Timmis, K. N. and Puhler, A.), pp. 3–12. Amsterdam: Elsevier/North-Holland.Google Scholar
Dennison, S. (1972). Naturally occurring R factor, derepressed for pilus synthesis, belonging to the same compatibility group as the sex factor F of E. coli K12. Journal of Bacteriology 109, 416–422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Egawa, R. & Hirota, Y. (1962). Inhibition of fertility by multiple drug-resistance factor (R) in E. coli K12. Japanese Journal of Genetics 37, 66–69.Google Scholar
Everett, R. & Willetts, N. S. (1980). Characterisation of an in vitro system for nicking at the origin of conjugal DNA transfer of the sex factor F. Journal of Molecular Biology 136, 129–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everett, R. & Willetts, N. S. (1982). Cloning, mutation, and location of the F origin of conjugal transfer. EMBO Journal 1, 747–753.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falkow, S. & Baron, L. S. (1962). Episomic element in a strain of Salmonella typhosa. Journal of Bacteriology 84, 581–589.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falkow, S., Guerry, P., Hedges, R. W. & Datta, N. (1974). Polynucleotide sequence relationships among plasmids of the I compatibility complex. Journal of General Microbiology 85, 65–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finlay, B. B., Frost, L. & Paranchych, W. (1984). Localisation, cloning and sequence determination of the conjugative plasmid ColB2 pilin gene. Journal of Bacteriology 160, 402–407.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finnegan, D. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1971). Two classes of Flac mutants insensitive to transfer inhibition by an F-like factor. Molecular and General Genetics 111, 256–264.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finnegan, D. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1972). The nature of the transfer inhibitor of several F-like plasmids. Molecular and General Genetics 119, 57–66.Google Scholar
Finnegan, D. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1973). The site of action of the F transfer inhibitor. Molecular and General Genetics 127, 307–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foster, T. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1976). Genetic analysis of deletions of R100-1 that are both transfer-deficient and tetracycline-sensitive. Journal of General Microbiology 93, 133–140.Google Scholar
Foster, T. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1977). Characterisation of transfer-deficient mutants of the R100-1 Tcs plasmid pDU202, caused by insertion of Tn10. Molecular and General Genetics 156, 107–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fredericq, P. (1969). The recombination of colicinogenic factors with other episomes and plasmids. In Ciba Foundation Symposium on Bacterial Episomes and Plasmids (ed. Wolstenholme, G. E. W. and M., O'Connor), pp. 163–174. J. & A. Churchill: London.Google Scholar
Frost, L. S., Paranchych, W. & Willetts, N. S. (1984). DNA sequence of the F traALE region that includes the gene for F pilin. Journal of Bacteriology 160, 395–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaffney, D., Skurray, R. & Willetts, N. (1983). Regulation of the F conjugation genes studied by hybridisation and tra-lacZ fusion. Journal of Molecular Biology 168, 103–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasson, M. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1975). Five control systems preventing transfer of E. coli K12 sex factor F. Journal of Bacteriology 122, 518–525.Google Scholar
Gasson, M. J. & Willetts, N. S. (1977). Further characterisation of the F fertility inhibition systems of ‘unusual’ Fin+ plasmids. Journal of Bacteriology 131, 413–420.Google Scholar
Grindley, N. D. F., Anderson, E. S., Smith, H. R. & Grindley, J. N. (1971). The effects of S. typhimurium on derepressed mutants of F-like factors. Genetical Research 17, 89–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grindley, N. D. F., Grindley, J. N., Smith, H. R. & Anderson, E. S. (1973). Characterisation of derepressed mutants of an F-like R factor. Molecular and General Genetics 120, 27–34.Google Scholar
Hanson, B. S., Manning, P. A. & Achtman, M. (1982). Promoter-distal region of the tra operon of F-like sex factor R100 in E. coli K12. Journal of Bacteriology 150, 89–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hausmann, C. & Clowes, R. C. (1971). ColB2-K77, a fertility-repressed F-like sex factor. Journal of Bacteriology 107, 900–906.Google Scholar
Hirota, Y., Hishimura, Y., Orskov, F. & Orskov, I. (1964). Effect of drug-resistance factor R on the F properties of E. coli. Journal of Bacteriology 87, 341–351.Google Scholar
Ingram, L. C. (1973). DNA-DNA hybridisation of R factors. Journal of Bacteriology 115, 1130–1134.Google Scholar
Johnson, D., Everett, R. & Willetts, N. (1981). Cloning of F DNA fragments carrying the origin of transfer oriT and the fertility inhibition gene finP. Journal of Molecular Biology 153, 187–202.Google Scholar
Kuhn, B., Abdel-Monem, M., Krell, H. & HoffmannBerling, H. (1979). Evidence for two mechanisms for DNA unwinding catalysed by DNA helicases. Journal of Biological Chemistry 254, 11, 343–11, 350.Google Scholar
Lacatena, R. M. & Cesareni, G. (1981). Base pairing of RNAI with its complementary sequence in the primer precursor inhibits ColE1 replication. Nature 294, 623–626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawn, A. M. & Meynell, E. (1970). Serotypes of sex pili. Journal of Hygiene 68, 683–694.Google ScholarPubMed
Lawn, A. M., Meynell, E. & Cooke, M. (1971). Mixed infections with bacterial sex factors: sex pili of pure and mixed phenotype. Annales de l'Institut Pasteur 120, 3–8.Google ScholarPubMed
Lawn, A. M., Meynell, E., Meynell, G. G. & Datta, N. (1967). Sex pili and the classification of sex factors in the Enterobacteriaceae. Nature 216, 343–346.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacFarren, A. C. & Clowes, R. C. (1967). A comparative study of two F-like colicin factors, ColV2 and ColV3, in E. coli K12. Journal of Bacteriology 94, 365–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manning, P. A. & Morelli, G. (1982). DNA homology of the promoter-distal regions of the tra operons of sex factors F and R100 in E. coli K12. Journal of Bacteriology 150, 389–394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McIntire, S. & Willetts, N. S. (1978). Plasmid cointegrates of F-lac and lambda prophage. Journal of Bacteriology 134, 184–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meynell, E. & Cooke, M. (1969). Repressor-minus and operator-constitutive derepressed mutants of F-like R factors: their effects on chromosomal transfer by HfrC. Genetical Research 14, 309–313.Google Scholar
Meynell, E. & Datta, N. (1966). The relation of resistance transfer factors to the F-factor (sex factor) of E. coli K12. Genetical Research 7, 134–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meynell, E. & Datta, N. (1967). Mutant drug resistance factors of high transmissibility. Nature 214, 885–887.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meynell, E. & Lawn, A. M. (1973). The transfer of plasmids by conjugation. Proceedings of the Society of General Microbiology 1, 2.Google Scholar
Meynell, E., Meynell, G. G. & Datta, N. (1968). Phylogenic relationships of drug resistance factors and other transmissible bacterial plasmids. Bacteriological Reviews 32, 55–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minkley, E. G., Polen, S., Brinton, C. C. & Ippen-Ihler, K. (1976). Identification of the structural gene for F-pilin. Journal of Molecular Biology 108, 111–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mullineaux, P. & Willetts, N. (1984). Promoters in the transfer region of plasmid F. In Plasmids in Bacteria (ed. Helinski, D., Cohen, S., Clewell, D. and Hollaender, A.), pp. 605–614. New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Nishimura, Y., Ishibashi, M., Meynell, E. & Hirota, Y. (1967). Specific piliation directed by a fertility factor and a resistance factor of E. coli. Journal of General Microbiology 49, 89–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohtsubo, E., Nishimura, Y. & Hirota, Y. (1970). Transfer-defective mutants of sex factors in E. coli. I. Defective mutants and complementation analysis. Genetics 64, 173–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ostermann, E., Kricek, F. & Hogenauer, G. (1984). Cloning the origin of transfer of the resistance plasmid R1. EMBO Journal 3, 1731–1735.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Romero, E. & Meynell, E. (1969). Covert fi− R factors in fi+ R+ strains of bacteria. Journal of Bacteriology 97, 780–786.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharp, P. A., Cohen, S. N. & Davidson, N. (1973). Electron microscope heteroduplex studies of sequence relations among plasmids of E. coli. II. Structure of drug resistance (R) factors and F factors. Journal of Molecular Biology 75, 235–255.Google Scholar
Thomson, R., Taylor, L., Kelly, K., Everett, R. & Willetts, N. (1984). The F plasmid origin of transfer: DNA sequence of wild-type and mutant origins and location of origin-specific nicks. EMBO Journal 3, 1175–1180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomizawa, J. I. & Itoh, T. (1981). Plasmid ColE1 incompatibility determined by interaction of RNAI with primer transcript. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington 78, 6096–6100.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watanabe, T. & Fukasawa, T. (1962). Episome mediated transfer of drug resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. IV. Interactions between resistance transfer factors and F factor in E. coli K12. Journal of Bacteriology 83, 727–735.Google Scholar
Watanabe, T., Ogata, C. & Sato, S.(1964). Episome-mediated transfer of drug-resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. VIII. Six drug-resistance R factors. Journal of Bacteriology 88, 922–928.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willetts, N. S. (1971). The plasmid-specificity of two proteins required for conjugation in E. coli K12. Nature New Biology 230, 183–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willetts, N. S. (1974). The kinetics of inhibition of Flac transfer by R100 in E. coli. Molecular and General Genetics 129, 123–130.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willetts, N. S. (1977). The transcriptional control of fertility in F-like plasmids. Journal of Molecular Biology 112, 141–148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willetts, N. (1981). Sites and systems for conjugal DNA transfer in bacteria. In Molecular Biology, Pathogenicity and Ecology of Bacterial Plasmids (ed. Levy, S. B., Clowes, R. C. and Koenig, E. L.), pp. 207–215. New York and London: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willetts, N. & Achtman, M. (1972). Genetic analysis of transfer by the E. coli sex factor F, using P1 transductional complementation. Journal of Bacteriology 110, 843–851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willetts, N. S. & Finnegan, D. J. (1970). Characteristics of E. coli K12 strains carrying both an F prime and R factor. Genetical Research 16, 113–122.Google Scholar
Willetts, N. S. & Maule, J. (1973). Surface exclusion by ColV-K94. Genetical Research 21, 297–299.Google Scholar
Willetts, N. S. & Maule, J. (1974). Interactions between the surface exclusion systems of some F-like plasmids. Genetical Research 24, 61–89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willetts, N. S. & Maule, J. (1979). Investigations of the F conjugation gene traI: traI mutants and traI transducing phages. Molecular and General Genetics 169, 325–336.Google Scholar
Willetts, N. S., Moore, P. M. & Paranchych, W. (1980). Variant pili produced by mutants of the Flac plasmid. Journal of General Microbiology 117, 455–464.Google Scholar
Willetts, N. S. & Skurray, R. (1980). The conjugative system of F-like plasmids. Annual Review of Genetics 14, 41–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willetts, N. S. & Wilkins, B. (1984). Processing of plasmid DNA during bacterial conjugation. Microbiological Reviews 48, 24–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed