Abstract
To date, information on plasmid analysis in Pandoraea spp. is scarce. To address the gap of knowledge on this, the complete sequences of eight plasmids from Pandoraea spp. namely Pandoraea faecigallinarum DSM 23572T (pPF72-1, pPF72-2), Pandoraea oxalativorans DSM 23570T (pPO70-1, pPO70-2, pPO70-3, pPO70-4), Pandoraea vervacti NS15 (pPV15) and Pandoraea apista DSM 16535T (pPA35) were studied for the first time in this study. The information on plasmid sequences in Pandoraea spp. is useful as the sequences did not match any known plasmid sequence deposited in public databases. Replication genes were not identified in some plasmids, a situation that has led to the possibility of host interaction involvement. Some plasmids were also void of par genes and intriguingly, repA gene was also not discovered in these plasmids. This further leads to the hypothesis of host-plasmid interaction. Plasmid stabilization/stability protein-encoding genes were observed in some plasmids but were not established for participating in plasmid segregation. Toxin-antitoxin systems MazEF, VapBC, RelBE, YgiT-MqsR, HigBA, and ParDE were identified across the plasmids and their presence would improve plasmid maintenance. Conjugation genes were identified portraying the conjugation ability amongst Pandoraea plasmids. Additionally, we found a shared region amongst some of the plasmids that consists of conjugation genes. The identification of genes involved in replication, segregation, toxin-antitoxin systems and conjugation, would aid the design of drugs to prevent the survival or transmission of plasmids carrying pathogenic properties. Additionally, genes conferring virulence and antibiotic resistance were identified amongst the plasmids. The observed features in the plasmids shed light on the Pandoraea spp. as opportunistic pathogens.
Highlights
Extrachromosomal DNA provides great impact in the evolution of bacteria in adapting to their surroundings
No comparison between regions of the Pandoraea plasmids and other known plasmids could be made. These findings indicate that the Pandoraea plasmid sequences were not reported before
Eight complete plasmid sequences in Pandoraea were characterized and comparatively studied for the first time. These novel plasmids were successfully characterized according to the plasmid maintenance systems, conjugation, virulence and antibiotic resistance categories
Summary
Extrachromosomal DNA provides great impact in the evolution of bacteria in adapting to their surroundings. Plasmids were identified as leading factors to outbreaks such as the case for plasmid p1658/97 that contributed to β-lactam antibiotics resistance in Escherichia coli isolates during the clonal outbreak in a hospital in Warsaw, Poland (Zienkiewicz et al, 2007). In another situation, the outbreak of NDM-1-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae at the Kunning City Maternal and Child health hospital in China, may have been caused by the blaNDM-1harboring plasmid that was present in all the clinical isolates (Zheng et al, 2016). The spread of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance properties caused by plasmids is possible, leading to a threat in public health
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