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Bravo A, Moreno-Blanco A, Espinosa M. One Earth: The Equilibrium between the Human and the Bacterial Worlds. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15047. [PMID: 37894729 PMCID: PMC10606248 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Misuse and abuse of antibiotics on humans, cattle, and crops have led to the selection of multi-resistant pathogenic bacteria, the most feared 'superbugs'. Infections caused by superbugs are progressively difficult to treat, with a subsequent increase in lethality: the toll on human lives is predicted to reach 10 million by 2050. Here we review three concepts linked to the growing resistance to antibiotics, namely (i) the Resistome, which refers to the collection of bacterial genes that confer resistance to antibiotics, (ii) the Mobilome, which includes all the mobile genetic elements that participate in the spreading of antibiotic resistance among bacteria by horizontal gene transfer processes, and (iii) the Nichome, which refers to the set of genes that are expressed when bacteria try to colonize new niches. We also discuss the strategies that can be used to tackle bacterial infections and propose an entente cordiale with the bacterial world so that instead of war and destruction of the 'fierce enemy' we can achieve a peaceful coexistence (the One Earth concept) between the human and the bacterial worlds. This, in turn, will contribute to microbial biodiversity, which is crucial in a globally changing climate due to anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Bravo
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Espinosa
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
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2
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Faddetta T, Vassallo A, Del Duca S, Gallo G, Fani R, Puglia AM. Unravelling the DNA sequences carried by Streptomyces coelicolor membrane vesicles. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16651. [PMID: 36198712 PMCID: PMC9534924 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21002-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane vesicles (MVs) are spherical particles with nanoscale dimensions and characterized by the presence of diverse cargos, such as nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and cellular metabolites. Many examples of (micro)organisms producing MVs are reported in literature. Among them, bacterial MVs are of particular interest because they are now considered as the fourth mechanism of horizontal gene transfer. Streptomyces bacteria are well-known for their ecological roles and ability to synthesize bioactive compounds, with Streptomyces coelicolor being the model organism. It was previously demonstrated that it can produce distinct populations of MVs characterized by different protein and metabolite cargos. In this work we demonstrated for the first time that MVs of S. coelicolor carry both DNA and RNA and that their DNA content represents the entire chromosome of the bacterium. These findings suggest that MV DNA could have a role in the evolution of Streptomyces genomes and that MVs could be exploited in new strain engineering strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Faddetta
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alberto Vassallo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032, Camerino, Italy.
| | - Sara Del Duca
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gallo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Renato Fani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Puglia
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, University of Palermo, 90128, Palermo, Italy
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Zambri MP, Williams MA, Elliot MA. How Streptomyces thrive: Advancing our understanding of classical development and uncovering new behaviors. Adv Microb Physiol 2022; 80:203-236. [PMID: 35489792 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2022.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Streptomyces are soil- and marine-dwelling microbes that need to survive dramatic fluctuations in nutrient levels and environmental conditions. Here, we explore the advances made in understanding how Streptomyces bacteria can thrive in their natural environments. We examine their classical developmental cycle, and the intricate regulatory cascades that govern it. We discuss alternative growth strategies and behaviors, like the rapid expansion and colonization properties associated with exploratory growth, the release of membrane vesicles and S-cells from hyphal tips, and the acquisition of exogenous DNA along the lateral walls. We further investigate Streptomyces interactions with other organisms through the release of volatile compounds that impact nutrient levels, microbial growth, and insect behavior. Finally, we explore the increasingly diverse strategies employed by Streptomyces species in escaping and thwarting phage infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Zambri
- Department of Biology, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Michelle A Williams
- Department of Biology, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Marie A Elliot
- Department of Biology, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Thoma L, Vollmer B, Oesterhelt F, Muth G. Live-cell imaging of Streptomyces conjugation. Int J Med Microbiol 2019; 309:338-343. [PMID: 31175019 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2019.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-lapse imaging of conjugative plasmid transfer in Streptomyces revealed intriguing insights into the unique two-step conjugation process of this Gram+ mycelial soil bacterium. Differentially labelling of donor and recipient strains with distinct fluorescent proteins allowed the visualization of plasmid transfer in living mycelium. In nearly all observed matings, plasmid transfer occurred when donor and recipient hyphae made intimate contact at the lateral walls. Plasmid transfer does not involve a complete fusion of donor and recipient hyphae, but depends on a pore formed by the FtsK-like DNA translocase TraB. Following the initial transfer at the contact site of donor and recipient, the plasmids spread within the recipient mycelium by invading neighboring compartments, separated by cross walls. Intra-mycelial plasmid spreading depends on a septal cross wall localized multi-protein DNA translocation apparatus consisting of TraB and several Spd proteins and is abolished in a spd mutant. The ability to spread within the recipient mycelium is a crucial adaptation to the mycelial life style of Streptomyces, potentiating the efficiency of plasmid transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Thoma
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tübingen IMIT, Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - B Vollmer
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tübingen IMIT, Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - F Oesterhelt
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tübingen IMIT, Mikrobielle Wirkstoffe, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - G Muth
- Interfakultäres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tübingen IMIT, Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany.
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5
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Pettis GS. Spreading the news about the novel conjugation mechanism in Streptomyces bacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2018; 10:503-510. [PMID: 29901262 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The hallmark of mycelial spore-forming bacteria of the genus Streptomyces is their prolific production of antibiotics and other bioactive secondary metabolites as part of a complex morphological and physiological developmental program. They are further distinguished by a conjugation mechanism that differs substantially from the single-strand mode of DNA transfer via Type IV secretion, which is exhibited by numerous unicellular Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. At the crux of the novel intermycelial transfer event in Streptomyces spp. is a membrane pore composed of a single plasmid protein (TraB), which also functions as an FtsK-like DNA pump driven by the energy of ATP hydrolysis. TraB binds to specific 8-mer repeats within the non-coding clt plasmid transfer locus and the DNA is then translocated intercellularly in double-strand form. TraB also translocates chromosomal DNA most likely by binding to 8-mer clc sequences (clt-like chromosomal sequences) distributed throughout streptomycete chromosomes. In the recipient, plasmids are dispersed through septal crosswalls apparently by a multiprotein complex comprising TraB and plasmid Spd proteins. Continued rounds of such intramycelial spreading distribute plasmids well beyond the initial entrance point during the time prior to cell differentiation and sporulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg S Pettis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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Muth G. The pSG5-based thermosensitive vector family for genome editing and gene expression in actinomycetes. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:9067-9080. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9334-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Davidsson S, Carlsson J, Mölling P, Gashi N, Andrén O, Andersson SO, Brzuszkiewicz E, Poehlein A, Al-Zeer MA, Brinkmann V, Scavenius C, Nazipi S, Söderquist B, Brüggemann H. Prevalence of Flp Pili-Encoding Plasmids in Cutibacterium acnes Isolates Obtained from Prostatic Tissue. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2241. [PMID: 29201018 PMCID: PMC5696575 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is one of the hallmarks of prostate cancer. The origin of inflammation is unknown, but microbial infections are suspected to play a role. In previous studies, the Gram-positive, low virulent bacterium Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes was frequently isolated from prostatic tissue. It is unclear if the presence of the bacterium represents a true infection or a contamination. Here we investigated Cutibacterium acnes type II, also called subspecies defendens, which is the most prevalent type among prostatic C. acnes isolates. Genome sequencing of type II isolates identified large plasmids in several genomes. The plasmids are highly similar to previously identified linear plasmids of type I C. acnes strains associated with acne vulgaris. A PCR-based analysis revealed that 28.4% (21 out of 74) of all type II strains isolated from cancerous prostates carry a plasmid. The plasmid shows signatures for conjugative transfer. In addition, it contains a gene locus for tight adherence (tad) that is predicted to encode adhesive Flp (fimbrial low-molecular weight protein) pili. In subsequent experiments a tad locus-encoded putative pilin subunit was identified in the surface-exposed protein fraction of plasmid-positive C. acnes type II strains by mass spectrometry, indicating that the tad locus is functional. Additional plasmid-encoded proteins were detected in the secreted protein fraction, including two signal peptide-harboring proteins; the corresponding genes are specific for type II C. acnes, thus lacking from plasmid-positive type I C. acnes strains. Further support for the presence of Flp pili in C. acnes type II was provided by electron microscopy, revealing cell appendages in tad locus-positive strains. Our study provides new insight in the most prevalent prostatic subspecies of C. acnes, subsp. defendens, and indicates the existence of Flp pili in plasmid-positive strains. Such pili may support colonization and persistent infection of human prostates by C. acnes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina Davidsson
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jessica Carlsson
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Paula Mölling
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Natyra Gashi
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Ove Andrén
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Swen-Olof Andersson
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Elzbieta Brzuszkiewicz
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Munir A Al-Zeer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Volker Brinkmann
- Microscopy Core Facility, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Scavenius
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Seven Nazipi
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bo Söderquist
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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Wisniewski JA, Rood JI. The Tcp conjugation system of Clostridium perfringens. Plasmid 2017; 91:28-36. [PMID: 28286218 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The Gram-positive pathogen Clostridium perfringens possesses a family of large conjugative plasmids that is typified by the tetracycline resistance plasmid pCW3. Since these plasmids may carry antibiotic resistance genes or genes encoding extracellular or sporulation-associated toxins, the conjugative transfer of these plasmids appears to be important for the epidemiology of C. perfringens-mediated diseases. Sequence analysis of members of this plasmid family identified a highly conserved 35kb region that encodes proteins with various functions, including plasmid replication and partitioning. The tcp conjugation locus also was identified in this region, initially based on low-level amino acid sequence identity to conjugation proteins from the integrative conjugative element Tn916. Genetic studies confirmed that the tcp locus is required for conjugative transfer and combined with biochemical and structural analyses have led to the development of a functional model of the Tcp conjugation apparatus. This review summarises our current understanding of the Tcp conjugation system, which is now one of the best-characterized conjugation systems in Gram-positive bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Wisniewski
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Julian I Rood
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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Grohmann E, Keller W, Muth G. Mechanisms of Conjugative Transfer and Type IV Secretion-Mediated Effector Transport in Gram-Positive Bacteria. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2017. [PMID: 29536357 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Conjugative DNA transfer is the most important means to transfer antibiotic resistance genes and virulence determinants encoded by plasmids, integrative conjugative elements (ICE), and pathogenicity islands among bacteria. In gram-positive bacteria, there exist two types of conjugative systems, (i) type IV secretion system (T4SS)-dependent ones, like those encoded by the Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, and Clostridia mobile genetic elements and (ii) T4SS-independent ones, as those found on Streptomyces plasmids. Interestingly, very recently, on the Streptococcus suis genome, the first gram-positive T4SS not only involved in conjugative DNA transfer but also in effector translocation to the host was detected. Although no T4SS core complex structure from gram-positive bacteria is available, several structures from T4SS protein key factors from Enterococcus and Clostridia plasmids have been solved. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms and structure-function relationships of the diverse conjugation machineries and emerging research needs focused on combatting infections and spread of multiple resistant gram-positive pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Grohmann
- Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Life Sciences and Technology, 13347, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Walter Keller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, BioTechMed, University of Graz, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Günther Muth
- Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, University Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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Conjugative DNA-transfer in Streptomyces, a mycelial organism. Plasmid 2016; 87-88:1-9. [PMID: 27687731 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Conjugative DNA-transfer in the Gram-positive mycelial soil bacterium Streptomyces, well known for the production of numerous antibiotics, is a unique process involving the transfer of a double-stranded DNA molecule. Apparently it does not depend on a type IV secretion system but resembles the segregation of chromosomes during bacterial cell division. A single plasmid-encoded protein, TraB, directs the transfer from the plasmid-carrying donor to the recipient. TraB is a FtsK-like DNA-translocase, which recognizes a specific plasmid sequence, clt, via interaction with specific 8-bp repeats. Chromosomal markers are mobilized by the recognition of clt-like sequences randomly distributed all over the Streptomyces chromosomes. Fluorescence microcopy with conjugative reporter plasmids and differentially labelled recipient strains revealed conjugative plasmid transfer at the lateral walls of the hyphae, when getting in contact. Subsequently, the newly transferred plasmids cross septal cross walls, which occur at irregular distances in the mycelium and invade the neighboring compartments, thus efficiently colonizing the recipient mycelium. This intramycelial plasmid spreading requires the DNA-translocase TraB and a complex of several Spd proteins. Inactivation of a single spd gene interferes with intramycelial plasmid spreading. The molecular function of the Spd proteins is widely unknown. Spd proteins of different plasmids are highly diverse, none showing sequence similarity to a functionally characterized protein. The integral membrane protein SpdB2 binds DNA, peptidoglycan and forms membrane pores in vivo and in vitro. Intramycelial plasmid spreading is an adaptation to the mycelial growth characteristics of Streptomyces and ensures the rapid dissemination of the plasmid within the recipient colony before the onset of sporulation.
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Thoma L, Vollmer B, Muth G. Fluorescence microscopy of Streptomyces conjugation suggests DNA-transfer at the lateral walls and reveals the spreading of the plasmid in the recipient mycelium. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:598-608. [PMID: 26286483 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Revised: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Conjugative DNA-transfer in mycelial streptomycetes is a unique process, manifested on agar plates by the formation of circular growth retardation zones called pocks. Because pock size correlates with the extent of the transconjugant zone, it was suggested that pocks reflect the spreading of the transferred plasmid in the recipient mycelium. However, this concept has not been experimentally proven yet. The use of an eGFP-encoding derivative of the conjugative pIJ303 plasmid and Streptomyces lividans T7-mCherry as recipient enabled us to differentiate donor, recipient and transconjugant hyphae in mating experiments by fluorescence microscopy. Microscopic observation of the conjugation process suggested DNA-transfer via the lateral walls. At the contact sites mCherry was never observed in the donor, indicating that the conjugative DNA-transfer does not involve interfusion of cytoplasms of donor and recipient. The spreading of the transferred plasmid to the older parts of the recipient mycelium was demonstrated. This spreading was impaired when plasmid-encoded spd genes were inactivated. Deletion of the FtsK-like DNA-translocase encoding tra gene from the plasmid and mating experiments with strains containing chromosomal copies of tra either in the donor and/or in the recipient revealed that Tra had an essential role in intramycelial plasmid spreading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Thoma
- Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Interfakultaeres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tuebingen IMIT, Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tuebingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Bernd Vollmer
- Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Interfakultaeres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tuebingen IMIT, Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tuebingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Günther Muth
- Mikrobiologie/Biotechnologie, Interfakultaeres Institut für Mikrobiologie und Infektionsmedizin Tuebingen IMIT, Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, Tuebingen, 72076, Germany
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