Mutators and long-term molecular evolution of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7.
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.
Whittam
T S
TS
Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA. tsw1@psu.edu
Reid
S D
SD
Selander
R K
RK
D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation