Tetracycline-Related Transcriptional Regulation of the CTnDOT Mobilization Region

Abstract

CTnDOT is a 65-kb conjugative transposon (CTn) in Bacteroides spp. that confers resistance to the antibiotics erythromycin and tetracycline (Tc). Conjugative transfer of CTnDOT is regulated upon exposure of cells to Tc. In the absence of Tc, no transfer is detectable; however, a cascade of regulatory events results in the conjugative transfer of CTnDOT upon Tc induction. Previous studies addressing regulation of CTnDOT conjugative transfer focused primarily on the 13-kb transfer (tra) operon, which encodes the proteins required for assembly of the mating apparatus. We report here that the mob operon that encodes the relaxase and coupling proteins required for mobilization of CTnDOT are regulated at the transcriptional level upon Tc induction. The Xis2d and Exc excision proteins are required for the upregulation of mob transcription upon Tc induction, and yet a deletion of xis2c has no effect. We also show preliminary evidence suggesting that the integrase, IntDOT, may play a regulatory role, as pLYL72 transfer is not detectable when intDOT is provided in trans.