Genetic variability of the P120' surface protein gene of Mycoplasma hominis isolates recovered from Tunisian patients with uro-genital and infertility disorders.
BACKGROUND
Among the surface antigens of Mycoplasma hominis, the P120' protein was previously shown to elicit a subtle antibody response and appears to be relatively conserved. To get better insight into the evolution of this protein, we analysed the genetic variability of its surface exposed region in 27 M. hominis isolates recovered from the genital tract of Tunisian patients with infertility disorders.


METHODS
All specimens were processed for culture and PCR amplification of the N-terminal surface exposed region of p120' gene. PCR products were sequenced to evaluate the genetic variability, to test for adaptive selection, and to infer the phylogenetic relationship of the M. hominis isolates.


RESULTS
Sequence analysis showed a total of 25 single nucleotide polymorphisms distributed through 23 polymorphic sites, yielding 13 haplotypes. All but one mutation were confined within three distinct regions. Analysis of the amino acid-based phylogenetic tree showed a predominant group of 17 closely related isolates while the remaining appear to have significantly diverged.


CONCLUSIONS
By analysing a larger sample of M. hominis recovered from patients with urogenital infections, we show here that the P120' protein undergoes substantial level of genetic variability at its surface exposed region.
Laboratoire des Mycoplasmes, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, 13, Place Pasteur-B,P,74, 1002 Tunis-Belvédère, Tunis, Tunisie. boutheina.mardassi@pasteur.rns.tn
Boutheina Ben Abdelmoumen
BB
Mardassi
Hajer
H
Ayari
Awatef
A
Béjaoui-Khiari
Béhija
B
Mlik
Imed
I
Moalla
Faten
F
Amouna
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D052801:Male Urogenital Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D019535:Mycoplasma hominis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014416:Tunisia
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C111814:p120' protein, Mycoplasma hominis