Characterization of the tetracycline resistance plasmid pMD5057 from Lactobacillus plantarum 5057 reveals a composite structure.

The 10,877bp tetracycline resistance plasmid pMD5057 from Lactobacillus plantarum 5057 was completely sequenced. The sequence revealed a composite structure containing DNA from up to four different sources. The replication region had homology to other plasmids of lactic acid bacteria while the tetracycline resistance region, containing a tet(M) gene, had high homology to sequences from Clostridium perfringens and Staphylococcus aureus. Within the tetracycline resistance region a Lactobacillus IS-element was found. The remaining part of the plasmid contained three open reading frames with unknown functions. The composite structure with several truncated genes suggests a recent assembly of the plasmid. This is the first sequence of an antibiotic resistance plasmid isolated from L. plantarum.