Sequence analysis and plasmid mobilization of a 6.6-kb kanamycin resistance plasmid, pSNC3-Kan, from a Salmonella enterica serotype Newport isolate

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 14;17(7):e0268502. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268502. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Research on the transfer of antibiotic resistance plasmids has been mainly focused on the large multi-drug resistance conjugative plasmids, while the transmission of small mobilizable plasmids remains under-investigated. A series of diverse ColE-like kanamycin resistance plasmids ("KanR plasmids") from Salmonella enterica were characterized previously. In this study, the 6.6-kb pSNC3-Kan from a Salmonella enterica serotype Newport isolate was investigated. It possessed highly conserved RNA I/II and Tn602 (IS903-aph-IS903) regions to two other KanR plasmids pSe-Kan and pSBardo-Kan, but carried a mobC-mobA/BD operon. The mobilization proteins encoded by the mob operon of pSNC3-Kan showed high sequence identity (~95%) to those of an E. coli plasmid pEC34B, except that MobE was not present; and were much less conserved to those of another KanR plasmid pSN11/00Kan (43% - 86% identity). Four structurally different KanR plasmids were investigated for their ability to be mobilized by the conjugal transfer (tra) genes from F and IncP plasmids. Transfer genes derived from IncP plasmids can efficiently mobilize KanR plasmids possessing the mob operons (mobC-mobA/BD), such as pSNC3-Kan and pSN11/00Kan, in bi-parental mating experiments. On the other hand, F tra genes were able to mobilize pU302S, pSNC3-Kan and pSe-Kan, but not pSN11/00Kan. A plasmid-borne mob operon was not required for mobilization of the oriT(F)-bearing pSe-Kan by the F tra genes. This study underscores the complexity of plasmid interaction and the importance of how small mobilizable plasmids may contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • Escherichia coli* / genetics
  • Kanamycin Resistance / genetics
  • Plasmids / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica* / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis
  • Serogroup

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, in-house project. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.