Distribution of sequences homologous to the impCAB operon of TP110 among bacterial plasmids of different incompatibility groups.

Mutagenic DNA repair is a function of many naturally occurring plasmids belonging to several different incompatibility groups. A DNA probe corresponding to the impCAB operon of the IncI1 plasmid TP110, which encodes such functions, was used to investigate the distribution of homologous sequences in both related and unrelated plasmids. Southern blotting was used to demonstrate considerable sequence conservation amongst a number of plasmid types, with imp-related sequences being found on plasmids belonging to the I1, I1/B, B and FIV incompatibility groups. However, no homology was detected amongst plasmids of the N and L/M incompatibility groups, many of which carry functionally similar gene clusters. It appears that sequences determining mutagenic repair functions have been largely conserved within any one incompatibility group, but that significant divergent evolution has occurred between groups.