title: Gene islands integrated into tRNA(Gly) genes confer genome diversity on a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clone.
abstract: Intraclonal genome diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied in one of the most diverse mosaic regions of the P. aeruginosa chromosome. The ca. 110-kb large hypervariable region located near the lipH gene in two members of the predominant P. aeruginosa clone C, strain C and strain SG17M, was sequenced. In both strains the region consists of an individual strain-specific gene island of 111 (strain C) or 106 (SG17M) open reading frames (ORFs) and of a 7-kb stretch of clone C-specific sequence of 9 ORFs. The gene islands are integrated into conserved tRNA(Gly) genes and have a bipartite structure. The first part adjacent to the tRNA gene consists of strain-specific ORFs encoding metabolic functions and transporters, the majority of which have homologs of known function in other eubacteria, such as hemophores, cytochrome c biosynthesis, or mercury resistance. The second part is made up mostly of ORFs of yet-unknown function. Forty-seven of these ORFs are mutual homologs with a pairwise amino acid sequence identity of 35 to 88% and are arranged in the same order in the two gene islands. We hypothesize that this novel type of gene island derives from mobile elements which, upon integration, endow the recipient with strain-specific metabolic properties, thus possibly conferring on it a selective advantage in its specific habitat.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Forschergruppe, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Karen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Larbig
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christmann
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klockgether
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hartsch
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Merkl
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiehlmann
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tümmler
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003062:Codon; D003360:Cosmids / Q000235:genetics; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000382:microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011506:Proteins; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D012346:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003062:Codon; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D011506:Proteins; D012346:RNA, Transfer, Amino Acyl