title: The flagellin N-methylase gene fliB and an adjacent serovar-specific IS200 element in Salmonella typhimurium.
abstract: The cloning and molecular genetic analysis of a locus mapping within the flagellar gene (fli) complex of Salmonella typhimurium is reported. A copy of the insertion element IS200 was located in a noncoding stretch of DNA upstream of the fliA gene. Comparative nucleotide sequence analysis showed that this copy of IS200 was 711 bp long and that its flanking regions contained no features common to other characterized insertion sites of this element. The element was located 37 bp downstream of an ORF whose product was shown by interspecific transfer and amino acid analysis to carry out N-methylation of selected lysine residues in Salmonella flagellin. The sequence and phenotype of this ORF identified it as fliB, encoding the only prokaryotic N-methylase acting on amino groups to have been characterized to date. It was found to be conserved among all clinically significant serovars of Salmonella. The IS200 insertion site is of particular interest since it was conserved in all but two rare evolutionary lines of S. typhimurium, and was absent from 85 Salmonella strains belonging to 37 other serovars. It is thus a phylogenetically significant marker at the serovar level.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: André P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Burnens
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Unit, Virus Reference Division, Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ragna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biochemistry, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hunziker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brodard
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicolet
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005408:Flagellin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012703:Serotyping; D012808:Sigma Factor / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; C064971:FliA protein, Bacteria; D012808:Sigma Factor; D005408:Flagellin; D008780:Methyltransferases; C106637:flagellin N-methylase