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Evolution of the Rhodococcus equi vap Pathogenicity Island Seen through Comparison of Host-Associated vapA and vapB Virulence Plasmids

Authors :
Mandy Sanders
Mariela Scortti
Michal Letek
José A. Vázquez-Boland
Alain A. Ocampo-Sosa
Ursula Fogarty
Tom Buckley
Julian Parkhill
Stephen D. Bentley
Wim G. Meijer
Patricia González
Desmond P Leadon
Source :
Letek, M, Ocampo-Sosa, A A, Sanders, M, Fogarty, U, Buckley, T, Leadon, D P, González, P, Scortti, M, Meijer, W G, Parkhill, J, Bentley, S & Vázquez-Boland, J A 2008, ' Evolution of the Rhodococcus equi vap pathogenicity island seen through comparison of host-associated vapA and vapB virulence plasmids ', Journal of Bacteriology, vol. 190, no. 17, pp. 5797-805 . https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00468-08
Publication Year :
2008
Publisher :
American Society for Microbiology, 2008.

Abstract

The pathogenic actinomycete Rhodococcus equi harbors different types of virulence plasmids associated with specific nonhuman hosts. We determined the complete DNA sequence of a vapB + plasmid, typically associated with pig isolates, and compared it with that of the horse-specific vapA + plasmid type. pVAPB1593, a circular 79,251-bp element, had the same housekeeping backbone as the vapA + plasmid but differed over an ≈22-kb region. This variable region encompassed the vap pathogenicity island (PAI), was clearly subject to selective pressures different from those affecting the backbone, and showed major genetic rearrangements involving the vap genes. The pVAPB1593 PAI harbored five different vap genes ( vapB and vapJ to - M , with vapK present in two copies), which encoded products differing by 24 to 84% in amino acid sequence from the six full-length vapA + plasmid-encoded Vap proteins, consistent with a role for the specific vap gene complement in R. equi host tropism. Sequence analyses, including interpolated variable-order motifs for detection of alien DNA and reconstruction of Vap family phylogenetic relationships, suggested that the vap PAI was acquired by an ancestor plasmid via lateral gene transfer, subsequently evolving by vap gene duplication and sequence diversification to give different (host-adapted) plasmids. The R. equi virulence plasmids belong to a new family of actinobacterial circular replicons characterized by an ancient conjugative backbone and a horizontally acquired niche-adaptive plasticity region.

Details

ISSN :
10985530 and 00219193
Volume :
190
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of Bacteriology
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....3360a81c84d4e5288a72ec8f69cb4df7
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00468-08