Evolution of microcin V and colicin Ia plasmids in Escherichia coli

Survey results and genotypic characterization of Escherichia coli strains demonstrate that the baeteriocins colicin Ia and microcin V coassociate in a strain more often than would be expected by chance. When these two baeteriocins co-occur, they are encoded on the same conjugative plasmid. Plasmids encoding colicin Ia and microcin V are nonrandomly distributed with respect to the genomic background of the host strain. Characterization of microcin V and colicin Ia nucleotide variation, together with the backbone of plasmids encoding these baeteriocins, indicates that the association has evolved on multiple occasions and involves the movement of the microcin V operon, together with the genes iroNEDCB and iss, onto a nonrandom subset of colicin Ia plasmids. The fitness advantage conferred on cells encoding both colicin Ia and microcin V has yet to be determined.