title: [Genotypic differences between Corynebacterium diphtheriae biovar gravis and mitis strains].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Study structure ofa genetic determinant of amylase activity (amygene) in Corynebacterium diphtheriae biovar gravis and mitis strains.
  
  
  METHODS
  87 C. diphtheriae strains (31 gravis biovar strains and 56 mitis biovar strains) as well as C. diphtheriae PW8 strain were analyzed to detect structural features of C. diphtheriae strains of various biovars. 10 pairs of primers were used in PCR that flank mutually overlapping regions within DIP0357 locus as well as additional primers that flank DIP0353-DIP0354, DIP0357 and DIP0358 loci.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the C. diphtheriae biovar gravis strains were established to contain a full-size DIP0357 locus (amy gene) whereas in all the mitis biovar strains this genome fragment is absent. All the studied C. diphtheriae biovar gravis strains do not have significant changes within DIP0354-DIP0357 loci (amy gene) whereas in genome of 57 studied C. diphtheriae biovar mitis strains the major part of this fragment including the complete nucleotide sequence of amy gene is absent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. diphtheriae biovar gravis strains have a genetically determined ability to produce amylase that can be viewed as an additional pathogenicity factor giving microorganisms wider capabilities to colonize the mucous membrane of oropharynx.
authors.forename: O Iu
authors.initials: OIu
authors.lastname: Borisova
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Volozhantsev
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Mel'nikov
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Mazurova
authors.forename: S Iu
authors.initials: SIu
authors.lastname: Kombarova
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Aleshkin
mesh_terms: D000681:Amylases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005838:Genotype; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D037521:Virulence Factors; D000681:Amylases