The RD1 virulence locus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis regulates DNA transfer in Mycobacterium smegmatis

Conjugal DNA transfer occurs by an atypical mechanism in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The transfer system is chromosomally encoded and requires recipient recombination functions for both chromosome and plasmid transfer. Cis-acting sequences have been identified that confer mobility on nontransferable plasmids, but these are larger and have different properties to canonical oriT sites found in bacterial plasmids. To identify trans-acting factors required for mediating DNA transfer, a library of transposon insertion mutants was generated in the donor strain, and individual mutants were screened for their effect on transfer. From this screen, a collection of insertion mutants was isolated that increased conjugation frequencies relative to wild type. Remarkably, the mutations map to a 25-kb region of the M. smegmatis chromosome that is syntenous with the RD1 region of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is considered to be the primary attenuating deletion in the related vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin. The genes of the RD1 region encode a secretory apparatus responsible for exporting Cfp10- and Esat-6, both potent antigens and virulence factors. In crosses using two M. smegmatis donors, we show that wild-type cells can suppress the elevated transfer phenotype of mutant donors, which is consistent with the secretion of a factor that suppresses conjugation. Most importantly, the RD1 region of M. tuberculosis complements the conjugation phenotype of the RD1 mutants in M. smegmatis. Our results indicate that the M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis RD1 regions are functionally equivalent and provide a unique perspective on the role of this critical secretion apparatus.