Sequence, transcription activity, and evolutionary origin of the R-body coding plasmid pKAP298 from the intracellular parasitic bacterium Caedibacter taeniospiralis

We isolated the intracellular parasitic bacterium Caedibacter taeniospiralis from cultures of the freshwater ciliate Paramecium tetraurelia strain 298. Plasmid pKAP298 as well as the total RNA were isolated from the bacteria. pKAP298 was totally sequenced (49.1 kb; NCBI accession number AY422720). From southern blots of pKAP-fragments and Digoxigenin-labeled cDNA of the Caedibacter-RNA, we generated transcription maps of pKAP298. The observed transcription activity indicated functions of the plasmid besides the synthesis of the R-body, a complex protein inclusion associated with toxic effects of Caedibacter cells on host paramecia. We identified 63 potential protein coding regions on pKAP298, and a novel transposon as well as known transposons were characterized. A group II intron was identified. Homologies with putative phage genes were detected on pKAP298 that direct to the evolution of pKAP298 from a bacteriophage. This original phage most probably belonged to the Caudovirales. Hints on a toxin coding region of pKAP298 are given: a protein with homology to the Soj-/ParA-family also has homologies to a membrane associated ATPase, which is involved in eukaryotic ATPase dependent ion carriers and may be associated with toxic effects on paramecia ingesting this protein.