title: Genetic diversity of the gene cluster encoding longus, a type IV pilus of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
abstract: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains produce a type IV pilus named Longus. We identified a 16-gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of Longus that has 57 to 95% identity at the protein level to CFA/III, another type IV pilus of ETEC. Alleles of the Longus structural subunit gene lngA demonstrate a diversity of 12 to 19% at the protein level with strong positive selection for point replacements and horizontal transfer.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Iowa Children's Hospital, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. oscar-gomez@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Oscar G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Gomez-Duarte
authors.forename: Sujay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Giron
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaper
authors.forename: Evgeni V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Sokurenko
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010861:Fimbriae, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C121921:LngA protein, E coli