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Ortiz Charneco G, Kelleher P, Buivydas A, de Waal PP, van Rijswijck IM, van Peij NN, Mahony J, Van Sinderen D. Transcriptional control of two distinct lactococcal plasmid-encoded conjugation systems. CURRENT RESEARCH IN MICROBIAL SCIENCES 2024; 6:100224. [PMID: 38371911 PMCID: PMC10873654 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Lactococcal conjugative plasmids are poorly characterized compared to those harbored by numerous other Gram-positive bacteria, despite their significance in dairy fermentations and starter culture development. Furthermore, the transcriptional landscape of these lactococcal conjugation systems and their regulation have not been studied in any detail. Lactococcal plasmids pNP40 and pUC11B possess two genetically distinct and prevalent conjugation systems. Here, we describe the detailed transcriptional analysis of the pNP40 and pUC11B conjugation-associated gene clusters, revealing three and five promoters, respectively, for which the corresponding transcriptional start sites were identified. Regulation of several of these promoters, and therefore conjugation, is shown to involve the individual or concerted activities of the corresponding relaxase and transcriptional repressor(s) encoded by each conjugative plasmid. This work highlights how the conjugative potential of these systems may be unlocked, with significant implications for the starter culture and food fermentation industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Ortiz Charneco
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
| | - Philip Kelleher
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
| | - Andrius Buivydas
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
| | - Paul P. de Waal
- dsm-firmenich; Taste, Texture & Health, Center for Food Innovation, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Irma M.H. van Rijswijck
- dsm-firmenich; Taste, Texture & Health, Center for Food Innovation, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Noël N.M.E. van Peij
- dsm-firmenich; Taste, Texture & Health, Center for Food Innovation, Alexander Fleminglaan 1, 2613 AX Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
| | - Douwe Van Sinderen
- School of Microbiology & APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork, Ireland
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Meijer WJJ, Miguel-Arribas A. Genetic Engineering of Bacillus subtilis Using Competence-Induced Homologous Recombination Techniques. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2819:241-260. [PMID: 39028510 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3930-6_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is one of the best-studied bacteria and serves as a Gram-positive model system to address fundamental biological processes. Depending on conditions, a B. subtilis cell can initiate one out of various distinct differentiation processes to cope with changing environmental conditions. One of these differentiation processes is natural competence that allows cells to adsorb exogenous DNA and subsequently incorporate it into its chromosome by homologous recombination. Due to competence development, the genome of B. subtilis can be easily manipulated, and this has contributed to B. subtilis being a model system. In this chapter, we describe some of the most common genetic tools that can be used in combination with natural competence to tailor the genome of B. subtilis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfried J J Meijer
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa" (CSIC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andrés Miguel-Arribas
- Departamento de Biotecnología Microbiana, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Grohmann E. Special Issue "Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in the Environment, Their Resistance and Transfer Mechanisms". Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040981. [PMID: 37110404 PMCID: PMC10141088 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant bacteria are an emerging issue which is not restricted to clinics and the health care sector, but is increasingly affecting the environment [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Grohmann
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Department of Microbiology, Berliner Hochschule für Technik, 13347 Berlin, Germany
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