Nucleotide sequence analysis of pRS1, a cryptic plasmid from Oenococcus oeni

A new cryptic plasmid, pRS1, from an Oenococcus oeni strain isolated from S panish wines is reported. Nucleotide sequence analysis (2523 bp) revealed t he presence of three major open reading frames (ORFs) whose nucleotide sequ ence and encoded proteins exhibit high homology with those of pOg32, a prev iously described plasmid of O. oeni. Common features in other plasmids from O. oeni (i.e., pLo13 and pOg32) have been found in pRS1. They have three m ajor ORFs in the same strand; the putative encoded proteins by two of these ORFs exhibit homology with the replication (Rep) and the recombination (Pr e) proteins, respectively, of the pT181 plasmid family and related gram-pos itive bacteria plasmids; these plasmids contain the DNA sequences required for plasmid replication by the rolling circle mechanism and for recombinati on (i.e., double-strand origin, DSO; single-strand origin, SSO; recombinati on-specific sites, RSA and RSB); and finally, all these plasmids have a thi rd ORF of unknown function. These features suggest that DRS1 could constitu te together with pLo13 and pOg32 a family of small cryptic plasmids of O. o eni. (C) 1999 Academic Press.