Publication details

A Retrospective Study on Genetic Heterogeneity within Treponema Strains: Subpopulations Are Genetically Distinct in a Limited Number of Positions

Investor logo
Investor logo
Investor logo
Authors

ČEJKOVÁ Darina STROUHAL Michal NORRIS Steven J. WEINSTOCK George M. ŠMAJS David

Year of publication 2015
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Medicine

Citation
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004110
Field Genetics and molecular biology
Keywords PALLIDUM SUBSP PALLIDUM; COMPLETE GENOME SEQUENCE; BURROWS-WHEELER TRANSFORM; OUTER-MEMBRANE PROTEIN; ANTIGENIC VARIATION; ESCHERICHIA-COLI; MYCOBACTERIUM-TUBERCULOSIS; SSP-PALLIDUM; TPRK GENE; SYPHILIS TREPONEMES
Description BACKGROUND: Pathogenic uncultivable treponemes comprise human and animal pathogens including agents of syphilis, yaws, bejel, pinta, and venereal spirochetosis in rabbits and hares. A set of 10 treponemal genome sequences including those of 4 Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum (TPA) strains (Nichols, DAL-1, Mexico A, SS14), 4 T. p. ssp. pertenue (TPE) strains (CDC-2, Gauthier, Samoa D, Fribourg-Blanc), 1 T. p. ssp. endemicum (TEN) strain (Bosnia A) and one strain (Cuniculi A) of Treponema paraluisleporidarum ecovar Cuniculus (TPLC) were examined with respect to the presence of nucleotide intrastrain heterogeneous sites. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The number of identified intrastrain heterogeneous sites in individual genomes ranged between 0 and 7. Altogether, 23 intrastrain heterogeneous sites (in 17 genes) were found in 5 out of 10 investigated treponemal genomes including TPA strains Nichols (n = 5), DAL-1 (n = 4), and SS14 (n = 7), TPE strain Samoa D (n = 1), and TEN strain Bosnia A (n = 5). Although only one heterogeneous site was identified among 4 tested TPE strains, 16 such sites were identified among 4 TPA strains. Heterogeneous sites were mostly strain-specific and were identified in four tpr genes (tprC, GI, I, K), in genes involved in bacterial motility and chemotaxis (fliI, cheC-fliY), in genes involved in cell structure (murC), translation (prfA), general and DNA metabolism (putative SAM dependent methyltransferase, topA), and in seven hypothetical genes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Heterogeneous sites likely represent both the selection of adaptive changes during infection of the host as well as an ongoing diversifying evolutionary process.
Related projects:

You are running an old browser version. We recommend updating your browser to its latest version.

More info