Population structure of the Bacillus cereus group as determined by sequence analysis of six housekeeping genes and the plcR Gene.
The population structure of the Bacillus cereus group (52 strains of B. anthracis, B. cereus, and B. thuringiensis) was investigated by sequencing seven gene fragments (rpoB, gyrB, pycA, mdh, mbl, mutS, and plcR). Most of the strains were classifiable into two large subgroups in six housekeeping gene trees but not in the plcR tree. In addition, several consistent clusters were identified, which were unrelated to species distinction. Moreover, interrelationships among these clusters were incongruent in each gene tree. The incongruence length difference test and split decomposition analyses also showed incongruences between genes, suggesting horizontal gene transfer. The plcR gene was observed to have characteristics that differed from those of the other genes in terms of phylogenetic topology and pattern of sequence diversity. Thus, we suggest that the evolutionary history of the PlcR regulon differs from those of the other chromosomal genes and that recombination of the plcR gene may be frequent. The homogeneity of B. anthracis, which is depicted as an independent lineage in phylogenetic trees, is suggested to be of recent origin or to be due to the narrow taxonomic definition of species.
Department of Microbiology and Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, Korea.
Kwan Soo
KS
Ko
Jong-Wan
JW
Kim
Jong-Man
JM
Kim
Wonyong
W
Kim
Sang-in
SI
Chung
Ik Jung
IJ
Kim
Yoon-Hoh
YH
Kook
D000818:Animals; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C099480:PlcR protein, Bacillus; D015534:Trans-Activators