title: Identification of acquired DNA in Neisseria lactamica.
abstract: Anomalous DNA (aDNA) in prokaryotic genomes, identified by its aberrant nucleotide composition, generally represents horizontally acquired DNA. Previous studies showed that frequent DNA transfer occurs between commensal Neisseriae and Neisseria meningitidis. Currently, it is unknown whether aDNA regions are also transferred between these species. The genome of Neisseria lactamica strain 892586 was assessed by a strategy that enables the selective isolation of aDNA, using endonucleases with recognition sites that are overrepresented in aDNA. Of eight regions with aDNA, five displayed similarity to virulence-associated meningococcal sequences. Of three aDNA fragments with limited or no similarity to neisserial sequences, one encodes a novel putative autotransporter/adhesin. The remaining two fragments are adjacent in the N. lactamica genome, and encode a novel putative ATPase/subtilisin-like protease operon. A similar operon is present in the genomes of different respiratory tract pathogens. The identification of aDNA from N. lactamica with similarity to meningococcal aDNA shows that genetic exchange between the Neisseriae is not limited to the neisserial core genome. The discovery of aDNA in N. lactamica similar to a locus in other pathogens substantially expands the neisserial gene pool.
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Center, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark W J
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: van Passel
authors.forename: Aldert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bart
authors.forename: Angela C M
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Luyf
authors.forename: Antoine H C
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: van Kampen
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Ende
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics; D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D042806:Neisseria lactamica / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000235:genetics; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases