Complete nucleotide sequences of plasmids pACK2 and pACK5 from Staphylococcus simulans biovar staphylolyticus

Gargis, Amy S.; Heath, Lucie S.; Heath, Harry E.; LeBlanc, Paul A.; Gargis, Shaw R.; Harris, Travis H.; Sloan, Gary L.

doi:10.1016/j.plasmid.2013.01.008

Cited by 1 publication

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“…SaPIbov2 features a transposon carrying the biofilm-associated protein ( bap ) gene. Fascinatingly, in some species, bap has been shown to be plasmid-encoded: plasmid pACK2 from Staphylococcus simulans encodes bap and its associated transposase 54 , leading us to speculate that this gene has been acquired by SaPIbov2 from a co-resident plasmid in its ancestral host. Furthermore, the position of the SaPIbov2 transposon downstream of the regulatory, interference and packaging genes, facilitates integration of plasmid-encoded factors via IS257 recombination at the 3’ end of the SaPI, where most accessory virulence genes are located in SaPIs observed in nature 55 , indicating that plasmids represent an important reservoir for acquisition of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes by highly transducible PICI elements.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Staphylococcal phages and pathogenicity islands drive plasmid evolution

et al. 2021

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Conjugation has classically been considered the main mechanism driving plasmid transfer in nature. Yet bacteria frequently carry so-called non-transmissible plasmids, raising questions about how these plasmids spread. Interestingly, the size of many mobilisable and non-transmissible plasmids coincides with the average size of phages (~40 kb) or that of a family of pathogenicity islands, the phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs, ~11 kb). Here, we show that phages and PICIs from Staphylococcus aureus can mediate intra- and inter-species plasmid transfer via generalised transduction, potentially contributing to non-transmissible plasmid spread in nature. Further, staphylococcal PICIs enhance plasmid packaging efficiency, and phages and PICIs exert selective pressures on plasmids via the physical capacity of their capsids, explaining the bimodal size distribution observed for non-conjugative plasmids. Our results highlight that transducing agents (phages, PICIs) have important roles in bacterial plasmid evolution and, potentially, in antimicrobial resistance transmission.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%