<p>Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT from the pKpQIL and F plasmids (TraT<sub>pKpQIL</sub> and TraT<sub>F</sub>) exhibits plasmid surface exclusion specificity. The cryo-EM structures of TraT<sub>pKpQIL</sub> and TraT<sub>F</sub> reveal that they oligomerise into decameric champagne bottle cork-like structures, which are anchored to the outer membrane via a diacylglycerol and palmitic acid modified&#xa0;α-helical barrel domain. Unexpectedly, we identify chromosomal TraT homologues from multiple Gram-negative phyla which form numerous divergent lineages in a phylogenetic tree of TraT sequences. Plasmid-associated TraT sequences are found in multiple distinct lineages, including two separate clades incorporating TraT from Enterobacteriaceae IncF/F-like and Legionellaceae F-like plasmids. These findings suggest that different plasmid backbones have acquired and co-opted TraT on independent occasions.</p>

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Cryo-EM structure and evolutionary history of the conjugation surface exclusion protein TraT

  • Chloe Seddon,
  • Sophia David,
  • Joshua L. C. Wong,
  • Naito Ishimoto,
  • Shan He,
  • Jonathan Bradshaw,
  • Wen Wen Low,
  • Gad Frankel,
  • Konstantinos Beis

摘要

Conjugation plays a major role in dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes. Following transfer of IncF-like plasmids, recipients become refractory to a second wave of conjugation with the same plasmid via entry (TraS) and surface (TraT) exclusion mechanisms. Here, we show that TraT from the pKpQIL and F plasmids (TraTpKpQIL and TraTF) exhibits plasmid surface exclusion specificity. The cryo-EM structures of TraTpKpQIL and TraTF reveal that they oligomerise into decameric champagne bottle cork-like structures, which are anchored to the outer membrane via a diacylglycerol and palmitic acid modified α-helical barrel domain. Unexpectedly, we identify chromosomal TraT homologues from multiple Gram-negative phyla which form numerous divergent lineages in a phylogenetic tree of TraT sequences. Plasmid-associated TraT sequences are found in multiple distinct lineages, including two separate clades incorporating TraT from Enterobacteriaceae IncF/F-like and Legionellaceae F-like plasmids. These findings suggest that different plasmid backbones have acquired and co-opted TraT on independent occasions.