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A novel T4SS‐mediated DNA transfer used by pXO16, a conjugative plasmid from Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis
Author(s) -
Makart Lionel,
Gillis Annika,
Hinnekens Pauline,
Mahillon Jacques
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.14084
Subject(s) - bacillus thuringiensis , biology , plasmid , gene transfer , bacterial conjugation , dna , gene , horizontal gene transfer , genetics , secretion , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , genome , biochemistry
Summary The entomopathogenic Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis displays peculiar conjugative transfer capabilities, accounted for by the large conjugative plasmid pXO16 (350 kb). The efficient and fast conjugative transfers are accompanied by a macroscopic aggregation of bacterial partners. Moreover, pXO16 has proven capable of effective mobilization and the retro‐transfer of both mobilizable and ‘non‐mobilizable’ plasmids. In this work, the aggregation phenomenon is shown to promote pXO16 transfer while not being mandatory for transfer. Transfer of pXO16 to B. thuringiensis recipient strains that do not display aggregation is observed as well, hence enlarging the previously defined host range. The use of variant calling analysis of transconjugants allowed for observation of up to 791 kb chromosomal regions mobilization. Previous analysis of pXO16 did not reveal any Type IV Secretion System (T4SS) homologs, which suggested the presence of an unusual conjugative system. A FtsK/SpOIIIE ATPase gene proved here to be necessary for conjugative transfer. Additionally, the analysis of natural restriction‐modification systems in both conjugative partners gave credit to a ssDNA transfer mechanism. A ‘transfer israelensis plasmid’ ( tip ) region containing this ATPase gene was shown to code for other potential T4SS proteins, illustrating a conjugative system distantly related to the other known Gram‐positive T4SSs.