Plasmid copy numbers reflect distinct evolutionary strategies

Abstract

Different plasmids exist at different copy numbers per cell, and there is an inverse relationship between a plasmids copy number and its size. Two recent studies quantified this relationship into a scaling law, but both the form and the interpretation of this law are contested. Here, I explore the issues with fitting a single law across plasmid diversity and suggest a consistent synthesis. First, I explore some potential problems with using sequencing-based estimates of copy number. Then, I discuss plasmid copy number through a series of case studies. I argue in favour of interpreting plasmid copy numbers not through a single law, but through the lens of two dominant evolutionary strategies. I suggest that small plasmids which lack active segregation mechanisms have a resulting tradeoff between plasmid inheritance and fitness cost to the host, which is responsible for an inverse relationship between copy number and size. In contrast, larger plasmids with active segregation mechanisms show a much weaker relationship, in line with evidence that their metabolic costs are dominated by the expression of specific genes rather than their size. Where plasmids in the 20-100kb range have higher copy numbers, I argue these probably arise more from selection at the level of the host cell for plasmid-associated phenotypes (e.g. antibiotic resistance) rather than from plasmid-level selection for inheritance.