title: Loss and gain of GroEL in the Mollicutes.
abstract: GroEL is a chaperone thought of as essential for bacterial life. However, some species of Mollicutes are missing GroEL. We use phylogenetic analysis to show that the presence of GroEL is polyphyletic among the Mollicutes, and that there is evidence for lateral gene transfer of GroEL to Mycoplasma penetrans from the Proteobacteria. Furthermore, we propose that the presence of GroEL in Mycoplasma may be required for invasion of host tissue, suggesting that GroEL may act as an adhesin-invasin.
authors.affiliation: Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 5-354 MaRS TMDT, 101 College St., Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada.
authors.forename: Gregory W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Elisabeth R M
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Tillier
mesh_terms: D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D008973:Tenericutes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018834:Chaperonin 60