gbpC gene repertoire variation among mutans Streptococci.
The human dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans harbors one glucan-binding wall-anchored protein gene, gbpC, and another human pathogen, Streptococcus sobrinus, has 4 gbpC homologues. As no 4 gbpC homologues have so far been detected in other mutans streptococci, however, we cannot say whether those in S. sobrinus are paralogous or orthologous. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and sequence the gbpC/dbl genes in Streptococcus downei and Streptococcus criceti. The findings revealed that the former harbored 5 gbpC/dbl homologues and the latter 4. In addition, another dbl homologue, the dblC gene, was found in some strains of S. sobrinus. We performed a phylogenetic analysis with the gbpC/dbl genes in these mutans streptococci. These results indicate that the gbpC and dbl genes have an orthologous relationship.
Department of Biochemistry and Oral Health Science Center, Tokyo Dental College, 1-2-2 Masago, Mihama-ku, Chiba 261-8502, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Kojima
Kazuko
K
Okamoto-Shibayama
Yutaka
Y
Sato
Toshifumi
T
Azuma
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D037102:Lectins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000235:genetics*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D037102:Lectins; C037937:glucan-binding proteins