Identification of a putative pathogenicity island in Shigella flexneri using subtractive hybridisation of the S. flexneri and Escherichia coli genomes.
The genetic differences between the human pathogen, Shigella flexneri, and the non-pathogenic Escherichia coli were investigated in an attempt to identify pathogenicity islands (PAIs) in the S. flexneri genome. Genomic subtraction identified a large unique region of DNA which was present in S. flexneri serotype 2a but absent from E. coli K-12. This 42-kb DNA segment was localised to the S. flexneri chromosome and was found to contain a number of elements often associated with PAIs including: insertion sequence elements, bacteriophage genes, and a previously identified Shigella virulence gene (criR). These findings indicate that this region may form a new PAI in the S. flexneri genome.
Walker
John C
JC
School of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
Verma
Naresh K
NK
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003360:Cosmids; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C106728:CriR protein, Shigella flexneri; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D014157:Transcription Factors