Plasmid regulation and systems-level effects on Escherichia coli metabolism

ColE1-type plasmids are multicopy extra-chromosomal vectors with wide-spread applications in many areas of genetic engineering and biotechnology. While the regulation of ColE1 replication is primarily effected by plasmid-encoded factors, the continual discovery of new host-encoded factors modulating ColE1 replication such as RNases and exoribonucleases reveals that the Escherichia coli host could exert a considerable effect on plasmid replication as well. On the other hand, the presence of plasmids also imposes a metabolic burden impeding host growth and metabolism. The basis of this metabolic burden is multifaceted and appears to involve both the plasmid-related drain of cellular resources from the host cell and the perturbation of cellular regulatory state mediated by global transcriptional regulators. Through the systems-level analysis by omics tools and in-silico modeling, we are gaining better understanding of plasmid-host interactions. This chapter will discuss the interaction of host-encoded factors with the regulation of ColE1-type plasmid replication and the systems-level effects of these multicopy plasmids on metabolism of the E. coli host.