Distribution of pBS72-like conjugative plasmids among natural bacteria of the genus Bacillus

Abstract

As a result of the research pBS72-like replicons were detected with a frequency of 27 % in soil samples isolated from various natural sources on the territory of Belarus, which contained bacteria B. subtilis (were detected in 22 samples out of 36 studied). It was established that pBS72-like conjugative plasmids are present in the cells of natural bacteria B. subtilis circulating in Pakistan, China, and the Netherlands, and are also found in bacteria B. rugosus isolated in India. The homology of proteins responsible for replication (Rep-proteins) and conjugation (VirB4, VirB6, VirB11, VirD4, Mob proteins) was 99–100 %. Similar replicons (Rep proteins are 62 % identical) capable of being transmitted by conjugation (key conjugation proteins are 60–80 % identical) were found in the bacteria Bacillus sp., B. licheniformis, B. paralicheniformis and B. subtilis, allocated in the USA, Australia, China and South Korea.