Dataset Information

Plasmids of the pRM/pRF family occur in diverse Rickettsia species.

ABSTRACT: The recent discoveries of the pRF and pRM plasmids of Rickettsia felis and R. monacensis have contravened the long-held dogma that plasmids are not present in the bacterial genus Rickettsia (Rickettsiales; Rickettsiaceae). We report the existence of plasmids in R. helvetica, R. peacockii, R. amblyommii, and R. massiliae isolates from ixodid ticks and in an R. hoogstraalii isolate from an argasid tick. R. peacockii and four isolates of R. amblyommii from widely separated geographic locations contained plasmids that comigrated with pRM during pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and larger plasmids with mobilities similar to that of pRF. The R. peacockii plasmids were lost during long-term serial passage in cultured cells. R. montanensis did not contain a plasmid. Southern blots showed that sequences similar to those of a DnaA-like replication initiator protein, a small heat shock protein 2, and the Sca12 cell surface antigen genes on pRM and pRF were present on all of the plasmids except for that of R. massiliae, which lacked the heat shock gene and was the smallest of the plasmids. The R. hoogstraalii plasmid was most similar to pRM and contained apparent homologs of proline/betaine transporter and SpoT stringent response genes on pRM and pRF that were absent from the other plasmids. The R. hoogstraalii, R. helvetica, and R. amblyommii plasmids contained homologs of a pRM-carried gene similar to a Nitrobacter sp. helicase RecD/TraA gene, but none of the plasmids hybridized with a probe derived from a pRM-encoded gene similar to a Burkholderia sp. transposon resolvase gene.

SUBMITTER: Baldridge GD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2227743 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Plasmids of the pRM/pRF family occur in diverse Rickettsia species.

Baldridge Gerald D GD Burkhardt Nicole Y NY Felsheim Roderick F RF Kurtti Timothy J TJ Munderloh Ulrike G UG

Applied and environmental microbiology 20071207 3

The recent discoveries of the pRF and pRM plasmids of Rickettsia felis and R. monacensis have contravened the long-held dogma that plasmids are not present in the bacterial genus Rickettsia (Rickettsiales; Rickettsiaceae). We report the existence of plasmids in R. helvetica, R. peacockii, R. amblyommii, and R. massiliae isolates from ixodid ticks and in an R. hoogstraalii isolate from an argasid tick. R. peacockii and four isolates of R. amblyommii from widely separated geographic locations cont ...[more]

PMID: 18065613

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Project description:The genome sequence of Rickettsia felis revealed a number of rickettsial genetic anomalies that likely contribute not only to a large genome size relative to other rickettsiae, but also to phenotypic oddities that have confounded the categorization of R. felis as either typhus group (TG) or spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Most intriguing was the first report from rickettsiae of a conjugative plasmid (pRF) that contains 68 putative open reading frames, several of which are predicted to encode proteins with high similarity to conjugative machinery in other plasmid-containing bacteria.Using phylogeny estimation, we determined the mode of inheritance of pRF genes relative to conserved rickettsial chromosomal genes. Phylogenies of chromosomal genes were in agreement with other published rickettsial trees. However, phylogenies including pRF genes yielded different topologies and suggest a close relationship between pRF and ancestral group (AG) rickettsiae, including the recently completed genome of R. bellii str. RML369-C. This relatedness is further supported by the distribution of pRF genes across other rickettsiae, as 10 pRF genes (or inactive derivatives) also occur in AG (but not SFG) rickettsiae, with five of these genes characteristic of typical plasmids. Detailed characterization of pRF genes resulted in two novel findings: the identification of oriV and replication termination regions, and the likelihood that a second proposed plasmid, pRFdelta, is an artifact of the original genome assembly.Altogether, we propose a new rickettsial classification scheme with the addition of a fourth lineage, transitional group (TRG) rickettsiae, that is unique from TG and SFG rickettsiae and harbors genes from possible exchanges with AG rickettsiae via conjugation. We offer insight into the evolution of a plastic plasmid system in rickettsiae, including the role plasmids may have played in the acquirement of virulence traits in pathogenic strains, and the likely origin of plasmids within the rickettsial tree.

Project description:UnlabelledChlamydiae are well known for their species specificity and tissue tropism, and yet the individual species and strains show remarkable genomic synteny and share an intracellular developmental cycle unique in the microbial world. Only a relatively few chlamydial genes have been linked to specific disease or tissue tropism. Here we show that chlamydial species associated with human infections, Chlamydia trachomatis and C. pneumoniae, exhibit unique requirements for Src-family kinases throughout their developmental cycle. Utilization of Src-family kinases by C. trachomatis includes tyrosine phosphorylation of the secreted effector Tarp during the entry process, a functional role in microtubule-dependent trafficking to the microtubule organizing center, and a requirement for Src-family kinases for successful initiation of development. Nonhuman chlamydial species C. caviae and C. muridarum show none of these requirements and, instead, appear to be growth restricted by the activities of Src-family kinases. Depletion of Src-family kinases triggers a more rapid development of C. caviae with up to an 800% increase in infectious progeny production. Collectively, the results suggest that human chlamydial species have evolved requirements for tyrosine phosphorylation by Src-family kinases that are not seen in other chlamydial species. The requirement for Src-family kinases thus represents a fundamental distinction between chlamydial species that would not be readily apparent in genomic comparisons and may provide insights into chlamydial disease association and species specificity.ImportanceChlamydiae are well known for their species specificity and tissue tropism as well as their association with unique diseases. A paradox in the field relates to the remarkable genomic synteny shown among chlamydiae and the very few chlamydial genes linked to specific diseases. We have found that different chlamydial species exhibit unique requirements for Src-family kinases. These differing requirements for Src-family kinases would not be apparent in genomic comparisons and appear to be a previously unrecognized distinction that may provide insights to guide research in chlamydial pathogenesis.

Dataset Information

Plasmids of the pRM/pRF family occur in diverse Rickettsia species.

Publications

Plasmids of the pRM/pRF family occur in diverse Rickettsia species.

Similar Datasets

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