title: Transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae: mosaic genes and the regulation of competence.
abstract: The presence of highly divergent mosaic blocks in penicillin binding protein genes responsible for penicillin resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae implies that transformation is an important tool for the evolution of this pathogen. Genetic competence depends on production of the competence signaling peptide CSP, the processed product of comC, which is curiously part of a mosaic gene arrangement itself. Expression of comC is part of a complex regulatory network involving at least two receptor kinase/transcriptional regulator pairs: ComD/E, which is responsible for induction, and CiaH/R, which inhibits expression of the comCDE operon.
authors.affiliation: University of Kaiserslautern, Department of Microbiology, Germany. hakenb@rhrk.uni-kl.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hakenbeck
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; D009030:Mosaicism; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase / Q000235:genetics; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C103179:ComE protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D046915:Penicillin-Binding Proteins; C061650:comC protein, Bacillus subtilis; D010458:Peptidyl Transferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; C088910:CiaR protein, Streptococcus pneumoniae; D002267:Muramoylpentapeptide Carboxypeptidase