Dynamic Filament Formation by a Divergent Bacterial Actin-Like ParM Protein

Plasmid Localization and Partition in Enterobacteriaceae

Plasmids are ubiquitous in the microbial world and have been identified in almost all species of bacteria that have been examined. Their localization inside the bacterial cell has been examined for about two decades; typically, they are not randomly distributed, and their positioning depends on copy number and their mode of segregation. Low-copy-number plasmids promote their own stable inheritance in their bacterial hosts by encoding active partition systems, which ensure that copies are positioned in both halves of a dividing cell. High-copy plasmids rely on passive diffusion of some copies, but many remain clustered together in the nucleoid-free regions of the cell. Here we review plasmid localization and partition (Par) systems, with particular emphasis on plasmids from Enterobacteriaceae and on recent results describing the in vivo localization properties and molecular mechanisms of each system. Partition systems also cause plasmid incompatibility such that distinct plasmids (with different replicons) with the same Par system cannot be stably maintained in the same cells. We discuss how partition-mediated incompatibility is a consequence of the partition mechanism.

Staphylococcal Plasmids, Transposable and Integrative Elements

Strains of Staphylococcus aureus, and to a lesser extent other staphylococcal species, are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. An important factor in the notoriety of these organisms stems from their frequent resistance to many antimicrobial agents used for chemotherapy. This review catalogues the variety of mobile genetic elements that have been identified in staphylococci, with a primary focus on those associated with the recruitment and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes. These include plasmids, transposable elements such as insertion sequences and transposons, and integrative elements including ICE and SCC elements. In concert, these diverse entities facilitate the intra- and inter-cellular gene mobility that enables horizontal genetic exchange, and have also been found to play additional roles in modulating gene expression and genome rearrangement.

Direct and convenient measurement of plasmid stability in lab and clinical isolates of E. coli

Plasmids are important mobile elements in bacteria, contributing to evolution, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. Natural plasmids are generally large and maintained at low copy number and thus prone to be lost. Therefore, dedicated plasmid maintenance systems have evolved, leading to plasmid loss rates as low as 1 per 10⁷ divisions. These low rates complicate studies of plasmid loss, as traditional techniques for measuring plasmid loss are laborious and not quantitative. To overcome these limitations, we leveraged a stringent negative selection system to develop a method for performing direct, quantitative measurements of plasmid loss in E. coli. We applied our method to gain mechanistic insights into a heterologously reconstituted segregation system in lab strains and clinical isolates of E. coli. We also performed direct stability studies of a currently circulating resistance plasmid in a clinical isolate, strain EC958, which is a member of the rapidly expanding global ST131 E. coli clone. Our results establish the foundational assays required to screen for small molecules targeting plasmid stability, which could complement current strategies for reducing the spread of antibiotic resistance, complementing other strategies for treating antibiotic resistant bacteria.