Objective: To obtain the complete nucleotide sequence of the plasmid pVAE259 from Vibrio alginolyticus, to analyze molecular characteristic of the plasmid, and to explore its potential function.
Methods: We got the whole sequence of pVAE259 by the steps including of enzyme digestion, cloning, analysis of the acquired sequence and putative encoded protein using the softwares followed by speculation of its potential biological function.
Results: pVAE259 was a covalently closed circular plasmid. The complete sequence consists of 6075 bp in length, with a 42.16% GC content, and it is similar to the crytic plasmid pPS41 of Vibrio sp. 41. There is an origin of transfer (oriT) region in the sequence and a replication region located in the part from 4118 to 5494 bp. Seven open reading frames that longer than one hundred amino acids were found in pVAE259, ORF1-ORF7. The protein encoded by ORF1 should be classed into the members of relaxase superfamily, which is closest related to the MobA-like protein of Escherichi coli. The protein encoded by ORF2 should be classed into the members of the replicase superfamily, which is closest related to the protein RepA of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The protein encoded by ORF5 is similar to the protein MobC in the plasmid pHE1 of Heliamphora longata.
Conclusion: The plasmid pVAE259 might have the ability to transfer between different bacterial strains.