Disease relevance of Conjugation, Genetic

• The traY gene of the Escherichia coli F plasmid has been shown by genetic studies (R. Everett and N. Willetts, J. Mol. Biol. 136:129-150, 1980) to be involved in the site-specific nicking reaction at oriT required for the initiation of DNA transfer during bacterial conjugation [1].
• We have observed that treatment with high concentrations of a thiamine analog (amprolium) can lead to the elimination of the plasmidic resistance to ampicillin and the production of enterotoxin in wild Escherichia coli strains and in E coli and Salmonella typhimurium strains which had received the pKM101 plasmid through bacterial conjugation [2].

High impact information on Conjugation, Genetic

• The bacterial conjugation protein TrwB resembles ring helicases and F1-ATPase [3].
• TrwB, the coupling protein involved in DNA transport during bacterial conjugation, is a DNA-dependent ATPase [4].
• Crystal structure of the bacterial conjugation repressor finO [5].
• TraI protein of plasmid R1 possesses two activities, a DNA transesterase and a highly processive 5'-3' DNA helicase, which are essential for bacterial conjugation [6].
• Thus, TraI is one of the key components involved in the initiation and termination of horizontal DNA transfer by bacterial conjugation [7].

Biological context of Conjugation, Genetic

• Transfer of plasmid RP4 during bacterial conjugation requires the plasmid-encoded TraJ protein, which binds to the transfer origin (Fürste, J. P., Pansegrau, W., Ziegelin, G., Kröger, M., and Lanka, E. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 1771-1775) [8].
• F factor TraY, a ribbon-helix-helix DNA-binding protein, performs two roles in bacterial conjugation [9].

Anatomical context of Conjugation, Genetic

• DNA transfer by bacterial conjugation requires a mating pair formation (Mpf) system that specifies functions for establishing the physical contact between the donor and the recipient cell and for DNA transport across membranes [10].

Associations of Conjugation, Genetic with chemical compounds

• The gene transfer event was related to bacterial conjugation since a conjugation inhibitor, nalidixic acid, perturbed the phenomenon [11].
• Two out of 15 tested isolates (13%) demonstrated transfer of tetracycline resistance via bacterial conjugation [12].
• The role of lipopolysaccharide structure in the recipient cell during plasmid-mediated bacterial conjugation [13].
• The migration of these smaller products changed when the reactions were run at 28 vs 37 degrees C. The TrhC protein contained a putative nucleotide triphosphate-binding protein and exhibited sequence similarities with several other proteins implicated in bacterial conjugation, including TraC (F), TraB (pKM101), VirB4 (Ti), TrbE (RP4) [14].
• Preliminary experiments of bacterial conjugation allowed the identification of a new locus involved in thiamine biosynthesis which was tentatively mapped in the pur A - pro B region of the chromosomal map of S. typhimurium [15].

Gene context of Conjugation, Genetic

• Site-directed mutagenesis was used to investigate the functions of the traM gene in plasmid R1-mediated bacterial conjugation [16].
• Protein transfer into the recipient cell during bacterial conjugation: studies with F and RP4 [17].
• The FinO repressor of bacterial conjugation contains two RNA binding regions [18].
• DNA transfer occurs during a cell surface contact stage of F sex factor-mediated bacterial conjugation [19].
• Mobilization experiments employing recombinant R1 oriT constructions and a heterologous conjugative helper plasmid were used to investigate the independent contributions of TraY and TraM to the R1 relaxosome during bacterial conjugation [20].

References