A novel cryptic plasmid pBMB175 from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. tenebrionis YBT-1765

Characterization and functional insights of the novel RC-type plasmid pAnox1 from Anoxybacillus gonensis 05S15

The plasmid pAnox1, isolated from Anoxybacillus gonensis 05S15, was sequenced and characterized as a circular, double-stranded DNA molecule of 1592 base pairs with a GC content of 40.01 %. Despite its cryptic nature and small genome, bioinformatic analyses identified conserved motifs associated with replication-related proteins, though BLAST searches revealed no significant homology with other plasmids. The plasmid genome contains five putative Open Reading Frames (ORFs), four palindromic sequences, and two direct repeats on both strands, suggesting regulatory roles. Electron microscopy and Southern hybridization studies confirmed that pAnox1 follows a Rolling Circle (RC) replication mode. The study further demonstrated that the plasmid encodes three distinct transcripts: ORF-1 and ORF-3 are oriented in the same direction, while ORF-5 is on the opposite strand. RACE and LACE analyses revealed transcript lengths of 903 bp for ORF1, 499 bp for ORF3, and 211 bp for ORF5. Quantitative real-time PCR estimated the relative copy number of pAnox1 at 127 ± 2 copies per chromosomal equivalent. This novel RC-type plasmid in the Anoxybacillus genome holds promise as a cloning and expression vector for biotechnological applications and in vivo protein engineering.

Comparative genomic analysis and mosquito larvicidal activity of four Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis strains

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (Bti) is used to control insect vectors of human and animal diseases. In the present study, the toxicity of four strains of Bti, named T0124, T0131, T0137, and T0139, toward Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae was analyzed. The T0131 strain showed the highest larvicidal activity against A. aegypti (LC₅₀ = 0.015 µg/ml) and C. quinquefasciatus larvae (LC₅₀ = 0.035 µg/ml) when compared to the other strains. Furthermore, the genomic sequences of the four strains were obtained and compared. These Bti strains had chromosomes sizes of approximately 5.4 Mb with GC contents of ~35% and 5472–5477 putative coding regions. Three small plasmids (5.4, 6.8, and 7.6 kb) and three large plasmids (127, 235, and 359 kb) were found in the extrachromosomal content of all four strains. The SNP-based phylogeny revealed close relationship among isolates from this study and other Bti isolates, and SNPs analysis of the plasmids 127 kb did not reveal any mutations in δ-endotoxins genes. This newly acquired sequence data for these Bti strains may be useful in the search for novel insecticidal toxins to improve existing ones or develop new strategies for the biological control of important insect vectors of human and animal diseases.

Cloning and analysis of a large plasmid pBMB165 from Bacillus thuringiensis revealed a novel plasmid organization

In this study, we report a rapid cloning strategy for large native plasmids via a contig linkage map by BAC libraries. Using this method, we cloned a large plasmid pBMB165 from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar tenebrionis strain YBT-1765. Complete sequencing showed that pBMB165 is 77,627 bp long with a GC-content of 35.36%, and contains 103 open reading frames (ORFs). Sequence analysis and comparison reveals that pBMB165 represents a novel plasmid organization: it mainly consists of a pXO2-like replicon and mobile genetic elements (an inducible prophage BMBTP3 and a set of transposable elements). This is the first description of this plasmid organization pattern, which may result from recombination events among the plasmid replicon, prophage and transposable elements. This plasmid organization reveals that the prophage BMBTP3 may use the plasmid replicon to maintain its genetic stability. Our results provide a new approach to understanding co-evolution between bacterial plasmids and bacteriophage.

Characterization of the theta replication plasmid pGR7 from Acetobacter aceti CCM 3610

A cryptic plasmid of Acetobacter aceti CCM 3610, designated pGR7, was sequenced and characterized. It is a 2446-bp circular molecule with a G + C content of 30%, which is unusual when compared to the already known plasmids isolated from Acetobacter genera. Sequence analysis of pGR7 revealed three putative open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 displays low similarity with other Acetobacter plasmid replication proteins. The other two ORFs show similarities only to hypothetical proteins and do not encode any important protein. The replication module comprises a DnaA box-like sequence, indirect repeats, a potential prokaryotic promoter and the rep gene. The rep module organization is similar to that found in other theta-replicating plasmids from acetic acid bacteria that stably maintain in both Acetobacter and Escherichia coli, with two repeated sequences containing modules. Nevertheless, the pGR7 plasmid could replicate and be stably maintained only in Acetobacter strains and not in E. coli, another uncommon feature of this plasmid. The Rep protein was cloned into the pET30a + expression vector and purified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The helicase activity was determined and the ability of the protein to bind to the plasmid regulation region was confirmed by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The plasmid was stable in the Acetobacter cells after cultivation under nonselective conditions. By real-time polymerase chain reaction, the relative copy number of pGR7 was estimated to be seven copies per host chromosome equivalent.