title: Toxin genes on pathogenicity islands: impact for microbial evolution.
abstract: Toxin-specific genes are often located on mobile genetic elements such as phages, plasmids and pathogenicity islands (PAIs). The uropathogenic E. coli strain 536 carries two alpha-hemolysin gene clusters, which are part of the pathogenicity islands I536 and II536, respectively. Using different genetic techniques, two additional PAIs were identified in the genome of the E. coli strain 536, and it is likely that further PAIs are located on the genome of this strain. Pathogenicity islands are often associated with tRNA genes. In the case of the E. coli strain 536, the PAI-associated tRNA gene leuX, which encodes a minor leucyl-tRNA, affects the expression of various virulence traits including alpha-hemolysin production. The exact mode of action of the tRNA5Leu-dependent gene expression has to be identified in the future.
authors: Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: U
authors: U
authors: Dobrindt
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Janke
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Piechaczek
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Nagy
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Ziebuhr
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Fischer
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Schierhorn
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hecker
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Blum-Oehler
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Hacker
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D020543:Proteome; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000502:physiology; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D020543:Proteome; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin; D012343:RNA, Transfer