title: Divergence among genes encoding the elongation factor Tu of Yersinia Species.
abstract: Elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu), encoded by tuf genes, carries aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome during protein synthesis. Duplicated tuf genes (tufA and tufB), which are commonly found in enterobacterial species, usually coevolve via gene conversion and are very similar to one another. However, sequence analysis of tuf genes in our laboratory has revealed highly divergent copies in 72 strains spanning the genus Yersinia (representing 12 Yersinia species). The levels of intragenomic divergence between tufA and tufB sequences ranged from 8.3 to 16.2% for the genus Yersinia, which is significantly greater than the 0.0 to 3.6% divergence observed for other enterobacterial genera. We further explored tuf gene evolution in Yersinia and other Enterobacteriaceae by performing directed sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Phylogenetic trees constructed using concatenated tufA and tufB sequences revealed a monophyletic genus Yersinia in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Moreover, Yersinia strains form clades within the genus that mostly correlate with their phenotypic and genetic classifications. These genetic analyses revealed an unusual divergence between Yersinia tufA and tufB sequences, a feature unique among sequenced Enterobacteriaceae and indicative of a genus-wide loss of gene conversion. Furthermore, they provided valuable phylogenetic information for possible reclassification and identification of Yersinia species.
authors.affiliation: Centre de recherche en infectiologie de l'Université Laval, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 4G2.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isabel
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boissinot
authors.forename: Dominique K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Boudreau
authors.forename: Myrian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grondin
authors.forename: François J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Picard
authors.forename: Eric A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Martel
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Parham
authors.forename: Patrick S G
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chain
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mulvey
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: Paul H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouellette
authors.forename: Michel G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bergeron
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015007:Yersinia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D010444:Peptide Elongation Factor Tu
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