Search

The integrative mobilizable elements of SGI1-family considerably contribute to the spread of resistance to critically important antibiotics among enteric bacteria. Even though many aspects of SGI1 mobilization by IncA and IncC plasmids have been explored, the basic transfer elements such as oriT and self-encoded mobilization proteins remain undiscovered. Here we describe the mobilization region of SGI1 that is well conserved throughout the family and carries the oriTSGI1 and two genes, mpsA and mpsB (originally annotated as S020 and S019, respectively) that are essential for the conjugative transfer of SGI1. OriTSGI1, which is located in the vicinity of the two mobilization genes proved to be a 125-bp GC-rich sequence with several important inverted repeat motifs. The mobilization proteins MpsA and MpsB are expressed from a bicistronic mRNA, although MpsB can be produced from its own mRNA as well. The protein structure predictions imply that MpsA belongs to the lambda tyrosine recombinase family, while MpsB resembles the N-terminal core DNA binding domains of these enzymes. The results suggest that MpsA may act as an atypical relaxase, which needs MpsB for SGI1 transfer. Although the helper plasmid-encoded relaxase proved not to be essential for SGI1 transfer, it appeared to be important to achieve the high transfer rate of the island observed with the IncA/IncC-SGI1 system.

The integrative mobilizable elements of SGI1-family considerably contribute to the spread of resistance to critically important antibiotics among enteric bacteria. Even though many aspects of SGI1 mobilization by IncA and IncC plasmids have been explored, the basic transfer elements such as oriT and self-encoded mobilization proteins remain undiscovered. Here we describe the mobilization region of SGI1 that is well conserved throughout the family and carries the oriT SGI1 and two genes, mpsA and mpsB (originally annotated as S020 and S019, respectively) that are essential for the conjugative transfer of SGI1. OriT SGI1, which is located in the vicinity of the two mobilization genes proved to be a 125-bp GC-rich sequence with several important inverted repeat motifs. The mobilization proteins MpsA and MpsB are expressed from a bicistronic mRNA, although MpsB can be produced from its own mRNA as well. The protein structure predictions imply that MpsA belongs to the lambda tyrosine recombinase family, while MpsB resembles the N-terminal core DNA binding domains of these enzymes. The results suggest that MpsA may act as an atypical relaxase, which needs MpsB for SGI1 transfer. Although the helper plasmid-encoded relaxase proved not to be essential for SGI1 transfer, it appeared to be important to achieve the high transfer rate of the island observed with the IncA/IncC-SGI1 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) is a multidrug resistance integrative mobilizable element that harbors a great diversity of antimicrobial resistance gene clusters described in numerous Salmonella enterica serovars and also in Proteus mirabilis. A serious threat to public health was revealed in the recent description in P. mirabilis of a SGI1-derivative multidrug resistance island named PGI1 (Proteus genomic island 1) carrying extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) and metallo-β-lactamase resistance genes, blaVEB-6 and blaNDM-1, respectively. Here, we report the first description of Salmonella genomic island 1 (SGI1) in a multidrug-resistant clinical Morganella morganii subsp. morganii strain isolated from a patient in France in 2013. Complete-genome sequencing of the strain revealed SGI1 variant SGI1-L carrying resistance genes dfrA15, floR, tetA(G), blaPSE-1 (now referred to as blaCARB-2), and sul1, conferring resistance to trimethoprim, phenicols, tetracyclines, amoxicillin, and sulfonamides, respectively. The SGI1-L variant was integrated into the usual chromosome-specific integration site at the 3′ end of the trmE gene. Beyond Salmonella enterica and Proteus mirabilis, the SGI1 integrative mobilizable element may thus also disseminate its multidrug resistance phenotype in another genus belonging to the Proteae tribe of the family Enterobacteriaceae. IMPORTANCE Since its initial identification in epidemic multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT104 strains, several SGI1 variants, SGI1 lineages, and SGI1-related elements (SGI2, PGI1, and AGI1) have been described in many bacterial genera (Salmonella, Proteus, Morganella, Vibrio, Shewanella, etc.). They constitute a family of multidrug resistance site-specific integrative elements acquired by horizontal gene transfer, SGI1 being the best-characterized element. The horizontal transfer of SGI1/PGI1 elements into other genera is of public health concern, notably with regard to the spread of critically important resistance genes such as ESBL and carbapenemase genes. The identification of SGI1 in Morganella morganii raises the issue of (i) the potential for SGI1 to emerge in other human pathogens and (ii) its bacterial host range. Further surveillance and research are needed to understand the epidemiology, the spread, and the importance of the members of this SGI1 family of integrative elements in contributing to antibiotic resistance development.

Conjugation is a key mechanism of bacterial evolution that involves mobile genetic elements. Recent findings indicated that the main actors of conjugative transfer are not the well-known conjugative or mobilizable plasmids but are the integrated elements. This paper reviews current knowledge on "integrative and mobilizable elements" (IMEs) that have recently been shown to be highly diverse and highly widespread but are still rarely described. IMEs encode their own excision and integration and use the conjugation machinery of unrelated co-resident conjugative element for their own transfer. Recent studies revealed a much more complex and much more diverse lifecycle than initially thought. Besides their main transmission as integrated elements, IMEs probably use plasmid-like strategies to ensure their maintenance after excision. Their interaction with conjugative elements reveals not only harmless hitchhikers but also hunters that use conjugative elements as target for their integration or harmful parasites that subvert the conjugative apparatus of incoming elements to invade cells that harbor them. IMEs carry genes conferring various functions, such as resistance to antibiotics, that can enhance the fitness of their hosts and that contribute to their maintenance in bacterial populations. Taken as a whole, IMEs are probably major contributors to bacterial evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Transposable DNA elements occur naturally in the genomes of nearly all species of prokaryotes. A proposal for a uniform transposable element nomenclature was published prominently in the 1970s but is not, at present, available online even in abstract form, and many of the newly discovered elements have been named without reference to it. We propose here an updated version of the original nomenclature system for all of the various types of prokaryotic, autonomous, transposable elements excluding insertion sequences, for which a nomenclature system already exists. The use of this inclusive and sequential Tn numbering system for transposable elements, as described here, recognizes the ease of interspecies spread of individual elements, and allows for the naming of mosaic elements containing segments from two or more previously described types of transposons or plasmids. It will guard against any future need to rename elements following changes in bacterial nomenclature which occurs constantly with our increased understanding of bacterial phylogenies and taxonomic groupings. It also takes into account the increasing importance of metagenomic sequencing projects and the continued identification of new mobile elements from unknown hosts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Several groups of integrative mobilizable elements (IMEs) that harbour a class 1 integron carrying antibiotic resistance genes have been found at the 3′-end of the chromosomal trmE gene. Here, a new IME, designated SGI0, was found in trmE in the sequenced and assembled genome of a French clinical, multiply antibiotic resistant Proteus mirabilis strain, Pm 1LENAR. SGI0 shares the same gene content as the backbones of SGI1 and SGI2 (overall 97.6% and 97.7% nucleotide identity, respectively) but it lacks a class 1 integron. However, SGI0 is a mosaic made up of segments with >98.5% identity to SGI1 and SGI2 interspersed with segments sharing 74–95% identity indicating that further diverged backbone types exist and that recombination between them is occurring. The structure of SGI1-V, here re-named SGI-V, which lacks two SGI1 (S023 and S024) backbone genes and includes a group of additional genes in the backbone, was re-examined. In regions shared with SGI1, the backbones shared 97.3% overall identity with the differences distributed in patches with various levels of identity. The class 1 integron is also in a slightly different position with the target site duplication AAATT instead of ACTTG for SGI1 and variants, indicating that it was acquired independently. The Pm 1LENAR resistance genes are in the chromosome, in Tn 7 and an IS Ecp1 -mobilised segment. • SGI0, a genomic island without class 1 integron, was found in the trmE gene in Proteus mirabilis.. • The SGI0 backbone is a mosaic that includes segments of SGI1, SGI2 and SGI1-V backbones. • SGI0 was excised in the presence of an IncC plasmid and could be completely lost. • SGI1-V is independently derived and is re-named SGI-V. • SGI0, SGI1, SGI2 and SGI-V arose independently from an original ancestor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]