A typhus group-specific protease defies reductive evolution in rickettsiae.
Phylogenomics reveals extreme gene loss in typhus group (TG) rickettsiae relative to the levels for other rickettsial lineages. We report here a curious protease-encoding gene (ppcE) that is conserved only in TG rickettsiae. As a possible determinant of host pathogenicity, ppcE warrants consideration in the development of therapeutics against epidemic and murine typhus.
Ammerman
Nicole C
NC
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA.
Gillespie
Joseph J
JJ
Neuwald
Andrew F
AF
Sobral
Bruno W
BW
Azad
Abdu F
AF
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016996:Rickettsieae / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C020832:group-specific protease