The master activator of IncA/C conjugative plasmids stimulates genomic islands and multidrug resistance dissemination

PLoS Genet. 2014 Oct 23;10(10):e1004714. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004714. eCollection 2014 Oct.

Abstract

Dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes occurs mostly by conjugation, which mediates DNA transfer between cells in direct contact. Conjugative plasmids of the IncA/C incompatibility group have become a substantial threat due to their broad host-range, the extended spectrum of antimicrobial resistance they confer, their prevalence in enteric bacteria and their very efficient spread by conjugation. However, their biology remains largely unexplored. Using the IncA/C conjugative plasmid pVCR94ΔX as a prototype, we have investigated the regulatory circuitry that governs IncA/C plasmids dissemination and found that the transcriptional activator complex AcaCD is essential for the expression of plasmid transfer genes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with exonuclease digestion (ChIP-exo) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) approaches, we have identified the sequences recognized by AcaCD and characterized the AcaCD regulon. Data mining using the DNA motif recognized by AcaCD revealed potential AcaCD-binding sites upstream of genes involved in the intracellular mobility functions (recombination directionality factor and mobilization genes) in two widespread classes of genomic islands (GIs) phylogenetically unrelated to IncA/C plasmids. The first class, SGI1, confers and propagates multidrug resistance in Salmonella enterica and Proteus mirabilis, whereas MGIVmi1 in Vibrio mimicus belongs to a previously uncharacterized class of GIs. We have demonstrated that through expression of AcaCD, IncA/C plasmids specifically trigger the excision and mobilization of the GIs at high frequencies. This study provides new evidence of the considerable impact of IncA/C plasmids on bacterial genome plasticity through their own mobility and the mobilization of genomic islands.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Genomic Islands / genetics*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Proteus mirabilis / genetics
  • Salmonella enterica / genetics

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Fonds Québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies (DM, SR and VB), a Discovery Grant and Discovery Acceleration Supplement from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (VB) and the Natural Science Foundation of China (31370149) (PL). VB holds a Canada Research Chair in molecular bacterial genetics. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.