title: Genome sequence of Helicobacter suis supports its role in gastric pathology.
abstract: Helicobacter (H.) suis has been associated with chronic gastritis and ulcers of the pars oesophagea in pigs, and with gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in humans. In order to obtain better insight into the genes involved in pathogenicity and in the specific adaptation to the gastric environment of H. suis, a genome analysis was performed of two H. suis strains isolated from the gastric mucosa of swine. Homologs of the vast majority of genes shown to be important for gastric colonization of the human pathogen H. pylori were detected in the H. suis genome. H. suis encodes several putative outer membrane proteins, of which two similar to the H. pylori adhesins HpaA and HorB. H. suis harbours an almost complete comB type IV secretion system and members of the type IV secretion system 3, but lacks most of the genes present in the cag pathogenicity island of H. pylori. Homologs of genes encoding the H. pylori neutrophil-activating protein and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were identified in H. suis. H. suis also possesses several other presumptive virulence-associated genes, including homologs for mviN, the H. pylori flavodoxin gene, and a homolog of the H. pylori vacuolating cytotoxin A gene. It was concluded that although genes coding for some important virulence factors in H. pylori, such as the cytotoxin-associated protein (CagA), are not detected in the H. suis genome, homologs of other genes associated with colonization and virulence of H. pylori and other bacteria are present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium. miet.vermoote@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Miet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vermoote
authors.forename: Tom Theo Marie
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flahou
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasmans
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smet
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Groote
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van Criekinge
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ducatelle
authors.forename: Freddy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haesebrouck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018247:Helicobacter heilmannii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors