Occurrence of Plasmids in the Aromatic Degrading Bacterioplankton of the Baltic Sea
Chair of Genetics, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia Street 23, Tartu 51010, Estonia
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Genes 2011, 2(4), 853-868; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes2040853
Received: 16 August 2011 / Revised: 23 September 2011 / Accepted: 20 October 2011 / Published: 4 November 2011
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Genetics and Ecology Inspire the Biotechnology of an Evolving Global Economy)
Abstract
Plasmids are mobile genetic elements that provide their hosts with many beneficial traits including in some cases the ability to degrade different aromatic compounds. To fulfill the knowledge gap regarding catabolic plasmids of the Baltic Sea water, a total of 209 biodegrading bacterial strains were isolated and screened for the presence of these mobile genetic elements. We found that both large and small plasmids are common in the cultivable Baltic Sea bacterioplankton and are particularly prevalent among bacterial genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. Out of 61 plasmid-containing strains (29% of all isolates), 34 strains were found to carry large plasmids, which could be associated with the biodegradative capabilities of the host bacterial strains. Focusing on the diversity of IncP-9 plasmids, self-transmissible m-toluate (TOL) and salicylate (SAL) plasmids were detected. Sequencing the repA gene of IncP-9 carrying isolates revealed a high diversity within IncP-9 plasmid family, as well as extended the assumed bacterial host species range of the IncP-9 representatives. This study is the first insight into the genetic pool of the IncP-9 catabolic plasmids in the Baltic Sea bacterioplankton. View Full-TextKeywords:
IncP-9 plasmids; aromatic degraders; Baltic Sea bacteria; Pseudomonas
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MDPI and ACS Style
Jutkina, J.; Heinaru, E.; Vedler, E.; Juhanson, J.; Heinaru, A. Occurrence of Plasmids in the Aromatic Degrading Bacterioplankton of the Baltic Sea. Genes 2011, 2, 853-868.