Molecular characterization of the resolvase gene, res, carried by a multicopy plasmid from Clostridium perfringens: common evolutionary origin for prokaryotic site-specific recombinases

Mol Microbiol. 1987 Nov;1(3):371-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1987.tb01944.x.

Abstract

Clostridium perfringens strain CPN50 harbours a 10.2 kb plasmid known as pIP404 which, in addition to a set of UV-inducible genes involved in bacteriocin production, carries res, a gene probably encoding a site-specific recombinase. The RES protein is highly homologous to the resolvases of transposons from both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as enzymes involved in site-specific DNA inversion. A likely role for the RES protein would be to stabilize pIP404 by reducing the number of plasmid multimers resulting from homologous recombination. A putative resolution site for RES action was found overlapping the res promoter. Phylogenetic analysis of the primary structures of ten site-specific recombinases suggested a common descent and showed the RES protein to be closest to the resolvase encoded by Tn917 from Streptococcus faecalis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Biological Evolution*
  • Clostridium perfringens / enzymology
  • Clostridium perfringens / genetics*
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics*
  • Genes*
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / enzymology
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / genetics*
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / enzymology
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / genetics*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleotidyltransferases / genetics*
  • Plasmids*
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Transcription, Genetic
  • Transposases

Substances

  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Nucleotidyltransferases
  • Transposases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/Y00537