Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Plasmids”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 703 records · Page 39Linked to original sources

Plasmid interleukin-23 (IL-23), but not plasmid IL-27, enhances the protective efficacy of a DNA vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Protection against intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis requires the development of Th1-like T-cell responses. This in turn is dependent on the pattern of cytokine produced from dendritic cells (DCs) after infection. Three heterodimeric cytokines, interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-23, and IL-27, as well as IL-18, contribute to the differentiation and expansion of naive CD4(+) T cells. In this study we compared the effects of plasmids expressing both chains of IL-12, IL-23, or IL-27 as adjuvants for DNA immunization against M. tuberculosis infection. The genes encoding p19 and p40 chains of IL-23 or EBI3 and p28 chains of IL-27 were cloned on either side of a self-cleaving peptide from the FMDV2A protein. The secretion of functional cytokines from transfected cells was detected with bioassays. Supernatant from p2AIL-23-transfected cells induced the release of IL-17 from activated lymphocytes, confirming the presence of bioactive IL-23. Further, supernatant from p2AIL-27-transfected cells stimulated a significant increase in the proliferation of peptide-stimulated transgenic CD4(+) T cells. In initial experiments, M. tuberculosis infection of DCs was more potent at inducing IL-12 and IL-23 secretion than infection with the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), and no significant upregulation of IL-27 was observed. Coimmunization of C57BL/6 mice with DNA expressing M. tuberculosis antigen 85B (Ag85B; DNA85B) and plasmids expressing IL-23 or IL-12 stimulated stronger Ag85B-specific T-cell proliferative and IFN-gamma responses than DNA85B alone, whereas the addition of p2AIL-27 had no effect. Interestingly, DNA85B codelivered with p2AIL-12, but not p2AIL-23, reduced the immunoglobulin G antibody response. Both p2AIL-23 and p2AIL-12, but not p2AIL-27, enhanced the protective efficacy of DNA85B against aerosol M. tuberculosis challenge. Therefore, both p2AIL-23 and p2AIL-12 are valuable as cytokine adjuvants for increasing the protective antituberculosis immunity induced by DNA vaccines.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Analysis of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid in a cariogenic strain of Streptococcus faecalis: an approach to identifying genetic determinants on cryptic plasmids.

Streptococcus faecalis strains ND539 and OG1 have been previously shown to be cariogenic in gnotobiotic animals. Deoxyribonucleic acid analyses have revealed the presence of a single 26-megadalton plasmid designated pAM539 in the former strain, whereas the latter strain was found to be plasmid-free. By gene transfer experiments, it was possible to construct isogenic pairs of strains that differed only with regard to the presence or absence of pAM539. Comparative studies of isogenic pairs showed that the presence of pAM539 conferred bacterial sensitivity to a bacteriocin produced by S. faecalis strain 5952.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning with bifunctional plasmid vectors in Bacillus subtilis: isolation of a spontaneous mutant of Bacillus subtilis with enhanced transformability for Escherichia coli-propagated chimeric plasmid DNA.

Hybrid plasmid DNA cloned in Escherichia coli undergoes deletions when returned to competent Bacillus subtilis, even in defined restriction and modification mutants of strain 168. We have isolated a mutant of B. subtilis MI112 which is stably transformed at high frequency by chimeric plasmid DNA propagated in E. coli.

Bacillus subtilis↗

Importance of the C terminus of plasmid Rts1 RepA protein for replication and incompatibility of the plasmid.

RepA protein, essential for replication of plasmid Rts1, was found to bind in vivo immediately upstream of the repA promoter in studies with mini-Rts1 derivatives with deletions in the upstream region of repA. We constructed another series of repA mutants that would encode RepA derivatives containing oligopeptide substitutions in place of the carboxyl-terminal six amino acids. These modified RepA proteins could not activate ori (Rts1) at all and showed various degrees of incompatibility, or no incompatibility, toward a mini-Rts1 plasmid. These results suggest that the carboxyl-terminal six (or fewer) amino acids of RepA are important for exerting replication and incompatibility functions. One of the RepA derivatives, which showed an evident incompatibility without initiating replication, was examined for its ability to repress the repA gene.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Homology of mycoplasma plasmid pADB201 and staphylococcal plasmid pE194.

The complete nucleotide sequence of pADB201, a 1.7-kilobase cryptic plasmid from Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, is reported. The sequence contains a single large open reading frame capable of coding for a polypeptide of up to 198 codons long. The sequence of the putative polypeptide shows significant similarity to that of the repF gene product of staphylococcal plasmid pE194.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutations in the trfA replication gene of the broad-host-range plasmid RK2 result in elevated plasmid copy numbers.

Mutated forms of trfA, the replication protein gene of plasmid RK2, that support a minimal RK2 origin plasmid in Escherichia coli at copy numbers up to 23-fold higher than normal have been isolated. Six such high-copy-number (copy-up) mutations were mapped and sequenced. In each case, a single base transition led to an amino acid substitution in the TrfA protein primary sequence. The six mutations affected different residues of the protein and were located within a 69-base-pair region encoding 24 amino acids. Dominance tests showed that each of the mutants can be suppressed by wild-type trfA in trans, but suppression is highly dependent on the amount of wild-type protein produced. Excess mutant TrfA protein provided in trans significantly increased the copy number of RK2 and other self-replicating derivatives of RK2 that contain a wild-type trfA gene. These observations suggest that the mutations affect a regulatory activity of the TrfA replication protein that is a key factor in the control of initiation of RK2 replication.

Alleles↗

Homology of a plasmid from the spirochete Treponema denticola with the single-stranded DNA plasmids.

The 2,647-bp nucleotide sequence of cryptic plasmid pTD1, isolated from the oral spirochete Treponema denticola, was determined. The sequence revealed two open reading frames, A and B, which encode polypeptides of 335 and 235 amino acids, respectively. Open reading frame A shows sequence similarity to genes that encode replication proteins from a group of plasmids common in gram-positive bacteria, which replicate via a single-stranded intermediate.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

NikAB- or NikB-dependent intracellular recombination between tandemly repeated oriT sequences of plasmid R64 in plasmid or single-stranded phage vectors.

The origin of transfer (oriT) of a bacterial plasmid plays a key role in both the initiation and termination of conjugative DNA transfer. We have previously shown that a conjugation-dependent recombination between the tandem R64 oriT sequences cloned into pHSG398 occurred, resulting in the deletion of the intervening sequence during DNA transfer. In this study, we tandemly cloned two oriT sequences of IncI1 plasmid R64 into pUC18. Specific recombination between the two oriT sequences in pUC18 was observed within Escherichia coli cells harboring mini-R64. This recombination was found to be independent of both the recA gene and conjugative DNA transfer. The R64 genes nikA and nikB, required for conjugal DNA processing, were essential for this recombination. Although a fully active 92-bp oriT sequence was required at one site for the recombination, the 44-bp oriT core sequence was sufficient at the other site. Furthermore, when two oriT sequences were tandemly cloned into the single-stranded phage vector M13 and propagated within E. coli cells, recombination between the two oriT sequences was observed, depending on the nikB gene. These results suggest that the R64 relaxase protein NikB can execute cleavage and rejoining of single-stranded oriT DNA within E. coli cells, whereas such a reaction in double-stranded oriT DNA requires collaboration of the two relaxosome proteins, NikA and NikB.

Bacterial Proteins↗

The extrachromosomal replication of Dictyostelium plasmid Ddp2 requires a cis-acting element and a plasmid-encoded trans-acting factor.

Dictyostelium discoideum plasmid Ddp2 from the wild strain WS380B is a 5.8-kilobase (kb) supercoiled circle with a copy number of 300 per haploid genome. We previously described the construction of an extrachromosomally replicating transformation vector pnDeI carrying 4.7 kb of Ddp2 sequences (B. Leiting, and A. Noegel, Plasmid 20:241-248, 1988). In order to reduce the sequences required for extrachromosomal maintenance in D. discoideum, we characterized Ddp2 by sequence analysis, by deletion experiments, by transcription mapping, by electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and by expression of its single open reading frame in Escherichia coli. Two elements were involved in replication of Ddp2: a cis-acting sequence located on a 592-base-pair (bp) fragment that consisted of 220 bp of essential and 372 bp of auxiliary sequences, and a 2.7-kb open reading frame which most likely encodes a trans-acting factor. The cis- and trans-acting elements did not overlap and were shown to act independently from the location of the sequences encoding the trans-acting factor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Serovars, auxotypes, and plasmid profiles of PPNG strains with Asian type plasmid isolated in Amsterdam.

In 1982 an increase of penicillinase producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG), carrying the 4.5 megadalton Asian type plasmid and the 24 megadalton transfer plasmid (Asia+), was observed in Amsterdam. The main auxotypes were proline requiring (Pro-) and proline and hypoxanthine requiring (Pro-Hyx-). Using two monoclonal antibody systems, it was shown that the serovars of strains with these auxotypes isolated in 1981 were different from those isolated in 1982, which indicated the start and end of microepidemics. Different serovars were also observed in Pro- and non-requiring (NR) Asia- PPNG strains isolated in 1981-2 and 1985 respectively. Only one serovar (Aedih/Arst) was common in strains isolated in 1981-2 as well as in 1985.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae↗

DNA replication of plasmids from gram-positive bacteria in Bacillus subtilis. Plasmid pUB110 as a model system.

The small high copy plasmids from gram-positive bacteria like pUB110 replicate via an asymmetric rolling circle mechanism. On the based of several criteria those plasmids could be subdivided in four different families. By analysing pUB110 replication in B. subtilis as a model system we have obtained information on the way by which initiation, elongation and termination in replication is accomplished in B. subtilis.

Bacillus subtilis↗

[Genetic transformation of somatic cells. III. An analysis of the status of the plasmid nucleotide sequences in the extrachromosomal DNA of transformant clone cells and the rescue of extrachromosomal molecules of the plasmid DNA].

Extrachromosomal DNAs from TK+ transformant clones of A238 Chinese hamster cells isolated after the treatment with plasmid pST826 containing thymidine kinase gene (TK-gene) of Herpes simplex virus (HSV1) and 1.8 kb insert of human satellite III DNA (HSIII) were studied by hybridization technique. In two TK+-clones (2T301 and 2T16) large quantities of rearranged plasmid DNA molecules were found. Electron microscopy show in clone 2T301 the presence of circular DNAs with average length being 4.64 +/- 0.27 kb. These molecules were rescued by retransformation into E. coli and analysed by restriction mapping and hybridization. All of them contain deletions spanning the entire TK gene of HSV1 and pBR325 sequences situated just downstream from the ORI of replication. The origin of extra-replicating circular DNA in 2T301 clone is discussed.

Animals↗

A potential new gene (tccA) on IncP plasmid RK2 and transposon Tn1721: relationship of its product to the TrwC relaxase/helicase of IncW plasmid R388.

Computational analysis of the fully sequenced 60-kb genome of broad-host-range IncP alpha plasmid RK2 revealed a previously unreported potential protein-coding sequence, an 80-codon open reading frame (tccA), located in the region between the vegetative origin of replication (oriV) and the tetR gene of the tetracycline resistance determinant. The coding region is also present in the transposon Tn1721 tet region, which is nearly identical to the tet region of RK2. Remarkably, the predicted polypeptide product of the coding region displays 56% identity and 72% similarity with the C-terminal domain of the TrwC relaxase/helicase protein of IncW plasmid R388.

Amino Acid Sequence↗