title: Comparative analysis of the lppA locus in Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum and Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae.
abstract: The lppA gene, encoding the lipoprotein named LppA[Mcaca] was characterised in Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capricolum. It encodes a lipoprotein with an apparent molecular mass of 57 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE. Using antibodies directed against recombinant LppA[Mcaca], we showed the expression of this lipoprotein in all M. capricolum subsp. capricolum by immunoblot analysis. The serum did not cross-react with other members of the Mycoplasma mycoides cluster, hence showing that LppA[Mcaca] was antigenically specific to M. capricolum subsp. capricolum. The lppA gene was conserved within the subspecies and was used for the development of a specific PCR assay for the identification of M. capricolum subsp. capricolum. The taxonomically related Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (F38) was found to contain an lppA-pseudo-gene. It showed high similarity to functional lppA genes of other mycoplasmas in the M. mycoides cluster. However, it contained interrupted open reading frames. Moreover, the nucleotide sequence of the lppA pseudo-genes in different strains of M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae were quite variable. Interestingly, the lppA pseudo-gene had a size similar to that of the functional lppA genes of other mycoplasmas of the M. mycoides cluster and occupied the same genomic location as the latter ones in the vicinity of the mtlD genes. This study showed that all members of the M. mycoides cluster contain each a species-, subspecies- respectively type- specific lppA gene analogue which encodes a lipoprotein that has structural and functional relationship to the surface lipoprotein LppA [MmymySC], previously named P72, of M. mycoides subsp mycoides SC, with the exception of M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae which seems not to express an LppA analogue.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Monnerat
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thiaucourt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nicolet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry; D015723:Gene Library; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009176:Mycoplasma mycoides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008074:Lipoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins