The Complete DNA Sequence and Replication Analysis of the Plasmid pCB2.4 from the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803

Both strands of small plasmid pCB2.4 from the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 have been sequenced and analyzed. pCB2.4 contains 2345 bp and 57% A + T. Three open reading frames (ORFs) were identified in the nucleotide sequence of one strand of pCB2.4. ORF1 and ORF3 may encode basic proteins with calculated pI values of 7.71 and 9.96, respectively. The products of these ORFs have been compared to published protein sequences in databases and do not show significant homology to other proteins including replication proteins. pCB2.4 is not similar at the global DNA level to another 2.4-kbp plasmid, pCA2.4, present in the same cells, which has been found to replicate by a rolling-circle mechanism via a single-stranded intermediate. However, a short region (37 bp) is similar in pCA2.4 and pCB2.4. This region contains a potential nicking site (GATA) for replication proteins encoded by a group of plasmids that replicate by a rolling-circle mechanism and might be used as the origin of replication for these plasmids. Detection of a low level of single-stranded intermediate for pCB2.4 in the Synechocystis 6803 suggests that pCB2.4 may also replicate by a rolling-circle mechanism.