title: Geographical heterogeneity between Far Eastern and Western countries in prevalence of the virulence plasmid, the superantigen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen, and the high-pathogenicity island among Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strains.
abstract: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis produces novel superantigenic toxins designated YPMa (Y. pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen), YPMb, and YPMc and has a pathogenicity island termed HPI (high-pathogenicity island) and R-HPI (the right-hand part of the HPI with truncation in its left-hand part) on the chromosome. Analysis of the distribution of these virulence factors allowed for differentiation of species Y. pseudotuberculosis into six subgroups, thus reflecting the geographical spread of two main clones: the YPMa(+) HPI(-) Far Eastern systemic pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1b, -2a, -2b, -2c, -3, -4a, -4b, -5a, -5b, -6, -10, and UT (untypeable) and the YPMs(-) HPI(+) European gastroenteric pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1a and -1b. The YPMa(+) HPI(+) pathogenic type belonging to serotypes O1b, -3, -5a, -5b, and UT and the YPMb(+) HPI(-) nonpathogenic type belonging to non-melibiose-fermenting serotypes O1b, -5a, -5b, -6, -7, -9, -10, -11, and -12 were prevalent in the Far East. The YPMc(+) R-HPI(+) European low-pathogenicity type belonging to non-melibiose-fermenting serotype O3 and the YPMs(-) HPI(-) pathogenic type belonging to 15 serotypes were found to be prevalent all over the world. This new information is useful for a better understanding of the evolution and spread of Y. pseudotuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: The Shimane Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science, 582-1 Nishihamasada, Matsue, Shimane 699-0122, Japan. hiroshi@joho-shimane.or.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsubokura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Shubin
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: X B
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002415:Cats; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005285:Fermentation; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D008553:Melibiose / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D015995:Prevalence; D011817:Rabbits; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012703:Serotyping; D018089:Superantigens; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D015011:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015012:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018089:Superantigens; C093313:Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen; D008553:Melibiose