7.3 - Plasmids Flashcards
What are some features of plasmids?
- Plasmids replicate autonomously, independently of the host chromosome and use different mechanisms of replication.
- Plasmids have their own origin of replication and they use cellular machinery to replicate their DNA.
What happens to plasmids during cell division?
When a cell is dividing, plasmids will segregate or “partition” to each of the two poles of the cell, in order to allow each daughter cell to have a plasmid.
What do some plasmids use for their replication?
DnaA
What is a feature of natural plasmids?
They can act like independent organisms
What is a feature of artificial plasmids?
They can be used as tools for cloning
What is the replicon for replication using PCR?
(1) Melting: temperature
(2) Priming: customized DNA primers
(3) Polymerizing: Taq pol, quick-start brands, etc
(4) Regulators: you and the PCR machine (thermocycler)
What is the replicon for replication of E.coli chromosomes?
(1) Melting: DnaA-ATP, DnaB (helicase)
(2) Priming: DnaG
(3) Polymerizing: Pol III + DnaN, Pol I
(4) Regulators: many, target DnaA or oriC
Control goal: cell cycle coordination; very sophisticated
What is the replicon for replication from CoIE1 plasmids?
(1) Melting: RNA polymerase will melt the DNA at the site of replication initiation.
(2) Priming: RNase H will form primers.
(3) Polymerizing: This primer will be recognized by DNA pol I which will start elongation. The lagging strand uses DNA pol III to replace the different primers with DNA sequences.
The control goal when we talk about plasmid replication is to produce only a certain number of copies depending on the plasmid.
(4) Regulators: The way the plasmid “knows” when to stop replicating is by the accumulation of a specific antisense RNA. When this antisense RNA accumulates, it will inhibit plasmid replication. This is an example of negative feedback thermostat.
How does the iteron work?
Plasmid encode at least one protein called rep protein for replication and borrows most of other protein. Rep binds series of target sites in origin which are repeated (interated). They bind as dimer and handcuff or bind two plasmids together. Replication is closed but if you disrupt handcuffing then system is set up for recruiting protein to initiate replication
Key point: all proteins handcuff molecules together and this gives you sensor for concentration of DNA
If the cytoplasm grows and DNA does not replicate then you are more likely to shift towards equilibrium
How might you evolve a seconday chromsome? (Since bacteria typically only have one)
A plasmid could evolve into a chromsome
What is an example of a bacteria that has two chromosomes?
Vibrio cholerae which is a close relative of E.coli. Chromosome 1 has origin of replication called OriC which uses DnaA to intiate. Second chromosome is like 1 million bps and bacteria cannot function without it. Its origin of replication is completely different looks more like iteron (clearly derived from plasmid)
Do the chromsomes in vibrio cholerae replicate together?
No the large chromsome actually replicates first then the smaller one duplicates. The timing is more sophisticated than you would expect and there is lots of choreography and precise movement of DNA.
What are the two types of mechanisms for plasmid segregation?
Push mechanism - separates
Pull mechanism - anchors one molecule then pulls the other
What is the main concept behind the push and pull mechanism?
A specific DNA sequence on a chromsome or plasmid acts as a centromere. This recruits a specific protein which binds to the sequence. Another protein acts on this bound protein which results in the required motion.
What is an example of push type plasmids?
pR1 segregation
in pR1 segregation what protein binds to the DNA sequence which acts as the centromere?
ParR
What does ParR do?
Leads to the polymerization of several ParM-ATP (so ParM-ATP binds ParR on “centromere”)
What happens during the polymerization process in pR1 segregation?
ParM-ATP becomes ParM-ADP. ParM is very similar to actin filaments
What happens to the ParM-ADP filament?
The ParM-ADP filament will eventually hit a ParR molecule on another plasmid. This filament of ParM will make sure that the plasmids are away from each other so that they segregate during cellular division. The plasmids are therefore pushed apart towards the cell’s poles by ParM polymerization, such that after cell division both daughter cells have 1 copy of the plasmid
What is an experiment conducted on pull type plasmids?
(1) Live cell experiment with agar pad and nutrients. Cell is on pad and has fluroecent labeled ParB
(2) ParB binds the centromere
(3) Fluorescent micrograph taken every minute
(4) See two sports which separate and stay at poles
(5) This is typical pattern
What are GapR proteins?
Proteins that help with separation. Without the protein, chromosomes have trouble separating, cells seem to be separating and collapsing repeatedly. It is a helper protein which means a cell can survive without it
How do pull systems work?
(1) ParB binds to an anchoring protein called HubP in vibrio cholerae.
(2) The ParB in chromsome 1 specifically binds and holds the pole.
(3) Whilst one ParB is anchored to HubP, another ParB has a high affinity for ParA which also bound to different parts of chromosome. ParB consumes the ParA it interacts with by hydrolyzing ATP then keeps moving on
What centromere does ParB bind to?
ParS which is a DNA sequence
How does the pull syster differ in cholobacter?
The anchoring protein used is PopZ.
