title: Identification of a DNA methyltransferase gene carried on a pathogenicity island-like element (VPAI) in Vibrio parahaemolyticus and its prevalence among clinical and environmental isolates.
abstract: In this study we identified a putative virulence-associated DNA methyltransferase (MTase) gene carried on a novel 22.79-kb pathogenicity island-like element (VPAI) in V. parahaemolyticus. The V. parahaemolyticus MTase gene was shown by PCR to be prevalent (>98%) in pandemic thermostable direct hemolysin gene-positive isolates, which suggests that VPAI may confer unique virulence traits to pandemic strains of V. parahaemolyticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Hui-zhen
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Minnie M L
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Desmond
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.forename: Mandy M H
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Rudolf S S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Richard Y C
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014736:Vibrio parahaemolyticus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D015254:DNA Modification Methylases; D008780:Methyltransferases