Kozlowicz Briana K, Dworkin Martin, Dunny Gary M
Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota Medical School, 1460 Mayo Bldg., MMC196, 420 Delaware St., SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Int J Med Microbiol. 2006 Apr;296(2-3):141-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2006.01.040. Epub 2006 Feb 28.
Pheromone-inducible transfer of the plasmid pCF10 in Enterococcus faecalis is regulated using a complicated network of proteins and RNAs. The plasmid itself has been assembled from parts garnered from a variety of sources, and many aspects of the system resemble a biological kluge. Recently several new functions of various pCF10 gene products that participate in regulation of plasmid transfer have been identified. The results indicate that selective pressures controlling the evolution of the plasmid have produced a highly complex regulatory network with multiple biological functions that may serve well as a model for the evolution of biological complexity.
粪肠球菌中质粒pCF10的信息素诱导转移是通过一个复杂的蛋白质和RNA网络来调控的。该质粒本身是由从多种来源获取的元件组装而成,系统的许多方面类似于生物拼凑物。最近,参与质粒转移调控的各种pCF10基因产物的几个新功能已被确定。结果表明,控制质粒进化的选择压力产生了一个具有多种生物学功能的高度复杂的调控网络,这可能很好地作为生物复杂性进化的模型。