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Intracellular excision and reintegration dynamics of the ICE clc genomic island of Pseudomonas knackmussii sp. strain B13
Author(s) -
Sentchilo Vladimir,
Czechowska Kamila,
Pradervand Nicolas,
Minoia Marco,
Miyazaki Ryo,
Van Der Meer Jan Roelof
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2009.06726.x
Subject(s) - biology , genomic island , horizontal gene transfer , pseudomonas putida , genome , plasmid , genomic dna , genetics , insertion sequence , burkholderia , gene , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , transposable element , bacteria
Summary Genomic islands are DNA elements acquired by horizontal gene transfer that are common to a large number of bacterial genomes, which can contribute specific adaptive functions, e.g. virulence, metabolic capacities or antibiotic resistances. Some genomic islands are still self‐transferable and display an intricate life‐style, reminiscent of both bacteriophages and conjugative plasmids. Here we studied the dynamical process of genomic island excision and intracellular reintegration using the integrative and conjugative element ICE clc from Pseudomonas knackmussii B13 as model. By using self‐transfer of ICE clc from strain B13 to Pseudomonas putida and Cupriavidus necator as recipients, we show that ICE clc can target a number of different tRNA Gly genes in a bacterial genome, but only those which carry the GCC anticodon. Two conditional traps were designed for ICE clc based on the attR sequence, and we could show that ICE clc will insert with different frequencies in such traps producing brightly fluorescent cells. Starting from clonal primary transconjugants we demonstrate that ICE clc is excising and reintegrating at detectable frequencies, even in the absence of recipient. Recombination site analysis provided evidence to explain the characteristics of a larger number of genomic island insertions observed in a variety of strains, including Bordetella petri , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia .