Gene encoding a replication initiator protein and replication origin of conjugative plasmid pSA1.1 of Streptomyces cyaneus ATCC 14921.

pSA1.1 is a 9.1-kb multicopy plasmid originally isolated from Streptomyces cyaneus (formerly S. azureus) ATCC 14921. This plasmid accumulates single-stranded DNA in S. lividans and is therefore considered to replicate by a rolling-circle replication. In the present work, the rep gene encoding the replication initiator protein and the replication origin ori of pSA1.1 were determined. The rep and ori are located on separate regions. The Rep protein of pSA1.1 belongs to superfamily I which includes A proteins of phages. Nucleotide sequence of the surrounding putative nicking site of pSA1.1 shows good agreement with those of the pC194 group plasmids and phages. The direction of replication was also determined.