title: Mutators and long-term molecular evolution of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7.
abstract: It has been proposed that an increased mutation rate (indicated by the frequency of hypermutable isolates) has facilitated the emergence of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Analysis of the divergence of 12 genes shows no evidence that the pathogen has undergone an unusually high rate of mutation and molecular evolution.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA. tsw1@psu.edu
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Whittam
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Selander
mesh_terms: D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation