Open AccessPlasmid‐specified FemABX‐like immunity factor in Staphylococcus sciuri DD 4747
Author(s) -
Heath Lucie S.,
Gargis Shaw R.,
Smithberg S. Rochelle,
Johnson Heather P.,
Heath Harry E.,
LeBlanc Paul A.,
Sloan Gary L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1016/j.femsle.2005.06.019
Subject(s) - lysostaphin , plasmid , peptidoglycan , biology , gene , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , staphylococcus aureus , bacteria
A plasmid from Staphylococcus sciuri DD 4747 had three open reading frames: a replication gene, an N ‐acetylmuramyl‐ l ‐alanine amidase‐like gene, and a gene similar to the lysostaphin endopeptidase resistance gene ( epr / lif ). The epr ‐like gene was introduced into S. aureus RN4220; the recombinant strain was more resistant to lysostaphin endopeptidase and its cell wall peptidoglycan contained more serines and fewer glycines than the parental strain with the shuttle vector alone. Based on both its function and its similarity to femAB , this gene is a member of the femABX ‐like immunity gene family. Furthermore, this is the first example of a femABX ‐like immunity gene that is not linked to the gene for the bacteriolytic enzyme against which it specifies immunity.