All IncP-1 plasmid subgroups, including the novel e subgroup, are prevalent in the influent of a Danish wastewater treatment plant

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The presence and diversity of IncP-1 plasmids in the influent of a Danish wastewater treatment plant was studied by PCR amplification of the trfA gene in community DNA followed by sequencing. Three sets of PCR primers were designed to amplify a 281 bp fragment of trfA from all currently sequenced IncP-1 plasmids. A neighbor-joining tree, based on a multiple alignment of 72 obtained sequences together with homologous sequences of previously published IncP-1 plasmids, revealed that all established subgroups of IncP-1 plasmids, a, ß, ¿ and d, were present in the wastewater treatment plant influent. Also sequences representing the recently described fifth subgroup, the e subgroup, were detected in the wastewater. Thus, these results confirm the presence of at least five phylogenetically distinct subgroups of IncP-1 plasmids and represent the first time that sequences associated with plasmids of all of these five subgroups have been detected in a single setting. Additionally, the results confirm that wastewater constitutes a reservoir for the conjugative IncP-1 plasmids, which often harbor multiple antibiotic resistance genes.
Original languageEnglish
JournalPlasmid
Volume62
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)134-139
Number of pages6
ISSN0147-619X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Keywords: IncP-1; Plasmid; PCR; Phylogeny; Wastewater

ID: 16331012