Open AccessFatal affairs – conjugational transfer of a dinoflagellate-killing plasmid between marine Rhodobacterales
Author(s) -
Jürgen Tomasch,
Victoria Ringel,
Hui Wang,
Heike M. Freese,
Pascal Bartling,
Henner Brinkmann,
John Vollmers,
Michael Jarek,
Irene WagnerDöbler,
Jörn Petersen
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
microbial genomics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2057-5858
DOI - 10.1099/mgen.0.000787
Subject(s) - plasmid , roseobacter , replicon , biology , dinoflagellate , microbiology and biotechnology , extrachromosomal dna , genetics , gene , ecology , phylogenetics , clade
The roseobacter group of marine bacteria is characterized by a mosaic distribution of ecologically important phenotypes. These are often encoded on mobile extrachromosomal replicons. So far, conjugation had only been experimentally proven between the two model organisms Phaeobacter inhibens and Dinoroseobacter shibae . Here, we show that two large natural RepABC-type plasmids from D. shibae can be transferred into representatives of all known major Rhodobacterales lineages. Complete genome sequencing of the newly established Phaeobacter inhibens transconjugants confirmed their genomic integrity. The conjugated plasmids were stably maintained as single copy number replicons in the genuine as well as the new host. Co-cultivation of Phaeobacter inhibens and the transconjugants with the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum demonstrated that Phaeobacter inhibens is a probiotic strain that improves the yield and stability of the dinoflagellate culture. The transconjugant carrying the 191 kb plasmid, but not the 126 kb sister plasmid, killed the dinoflagellate in co-culture.