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Fookes MC, Hadfield J, Harris S, Parmar S, Unemo M, Jensen JS, Thomson NR. Mycoplasma genitalium: whole genome sequence analysis, recombination and population structure. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:993. [PMID: 29281972 PMCID: PMC5745988 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4399-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although Mycoplasma genitalium is a common sexually transmitted pathogen causing clinically distinct diseases both in male and females, few genomes have been sequenced up to now, due mainly to its fastidious nature and slow growth. Hence, we lack a robust phylogenetic framework to provide insights into the population structure of the species. Currently our understanding of the nature and diversity of M. genitalium relies on molecular tests targeting specific genes or regions of the genome and knowledge is limited by a general under-testing internationally. This is set against a background of drug resistance whereby M. genitalium has developed resistance to mainly all therapeutic antimicrobials. Results We sequenced 28 genomes of Mycoplasma genitalium from temporally (1980–2010) and geographically (Europe, Japan, Australia) diverse sources. All the strain showed essentially the same genomic content without any accessory regions found. However, we identified extensive recombination across their genomes with a total of 25 regions showing heightened levels of SNP density. These regions include the MgPar loci, associated with host interactions, as well as other genes that could also be involved in this role. Using these data, we generated a robust phylogeny which shows that there are two main clades with differing degrees of genomic variability. SNPs found in region V of 23S rRNA and parC were consistent with azithromycin/erythromycin and fluoroquinolone resistances, respectively, and with their phenotypic MIC data. Conclusions The sequence data here generated is essential for designing rational approaches to type and track Mycoplasma genitalium as antibiotic resistance increases. It represents a first approach to its population genetics to better appreciate the role of this organism as a sexually transmitted pathogen. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4399-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Fookes
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
| | - James Hadfield
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Harris
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK
| | - Surendra Parmar
- Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, National Infection Service, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
| | - Magnus Unemo
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and other Sexually Transmitted Infections, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Jørgen S Jensen
- Division for Infection Preparedness, Bacteria, Parasites, and Fungi, Research Unit for Reproductive Tract Microbiology, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Pathogen Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK. .,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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Miyata M, Hamaguchi T. Integrated Information and Prospects for Gliding Mechanism of the Pathogenic Bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:960. [PMID: 27446003 PMCID: PMC4923136 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae forms a membrane protrusion at a cell pole and is known to adhere to solid surfaces, including animal cells, and can glide on these surfaces with a speed up to 1 μm per second. Notably, gliding appears to be involved in the infectious process in addition to providing the bacteria with a means of escaping the host's immune systems. However, the genome of M. pneumoniae does not encode any of the known genes found in other bacterial motility systems or any conventional motor proteins that are responsible for eukaryotic motility. Thus, further analysis of the mechanism underlying M. pneumoniae gliding is warranted. The gliding machinery formed as the membrane protrusion can be divided into the surface and internal structures. On the surface, P1 adhesin, a 170 kDa transmembrane protein forms an adhesin complex with other two proteins. The internal structure features a terminal button, paired plates, and a bowl (wheel) complex. In total, the organelle is composed of more than 15 proteins. By integrating the currently available information by genetics, microscopy, and structural analyses, we have suggested a working model for the architecture of the organelle. Furthermore, in this article, we suggest and discuss a possible mechanism of gliding based on the structural model, in which the force generated around the bowl complex transmits through the paired plates, reaching the adhesin complex, resulting in the repeated catch of sialylated oligosaccharides on the host surface by the adhesin complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Miyata
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City UniversityOsaka, Japan; The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, Osaka City UniversityOsaka, Japan
| | - Tasuku Hamaguchi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City UniversityOsaka, Japan; The OCU Advanced Research Institute for Natural Science and Technology, Osaka City UniversityOsaka, Japan
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García-Morales L, González-González L, Querol E, Piñol J. A minimized motile machinery forMycoplasma genitalium. Mol Microbiol 2016; 100:125-38. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Luis García-Morales
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
| | - Luis González-González
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
| | | | - Jaume Piñol
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 08193 Bellaterra Barcelona Spain
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Fritsch TE, Siqueira FM, Schrank IS. Intrinsic terminators in Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae transcription. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:273. [PMID: 25886614 PMCID: PMC4411717 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1468-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, an important pathogen of swine, exhibits a low guanine and cytosine (GC) content genome. M. hyopneumoniae genome is organised in long transcriptional units and promoter sequences have been mapped upstream of all transcription units. These analysis provided insights into the gene organisation and transcription initiation at the genome scale. However, the presence of transcriptional terminator sequences in the M. hyopneumoniae genome is poorly understood. Results In silico analyses demonstrated the presence of putative terminators in 82% of the 33 monocistronic units (mCs) and in 74% of the 116 polycistronic units (pCs) considering different classes of terminators. The functional activity of 23 intrinsic terminators was confirmed by RT-PCR and qPCR. Analysis of all terminators found by three software algorithms, combined with experimental results, allowed us to propose a pattern of RNA hairpin formation during the termination process and to predict the location of terminators in the M. hyopneumoniae genome sequence. Conclusions The stem-loop structures of intrinsic terminators of mycoplasma diverge from the pattern of terminators found in other bacteria due the low content of guanine and cytosine. In M. hyopneumoniae, transcription can end after a transcriptional unit and before its terminator sequence and can also continue past the terminator sequence with RNA polymerases gradually releasing the RNA. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1468-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Ebert Fritsch
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Irene Silveira Schrank
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. .,Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, P. 43421, C.P. 15005, Porto Alegre, RS, CEP 91501-970, Brazil.
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Vaccination of BALB/c mice with an avirulent Mycoplasma pneumoniae P30 mutant results in disease exacerbation upon challenge with a virulent strain. Infect Immun 2012; 80:1007-14. [PMID: 22252865 DOI: 10.1128/iai.06078-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a significant human respiratory pathogen that causes high morbidity worldwide. No vaccine to prevent M. pneumoniae infection currently exists, since the mechanisms of pathogenesis are poorly understood. To this end, we constructed a P30 cytadhesin mutant (P-130) with a drastically reduced capacity for binding to erythrocytes and an inability to glide on glass substrates. This mutant was determined to be avirulent and cannot survive in the lungs of BALB/c mice. We also ascertained that the previously identified P30 gliding motility mutant II-3R is avirulent and also cannot be recovered from the lungs of mice after infection. Mutant P130 was then assessed for its efficacy as a live attenuated vaccine candidate in mice after challenge with wild-type M. pneumoniae. After vaccination with the P-130 P30 mutant, mice showed evidence of exacerbated disease upon subsequent challenge with the wild-type strain PI1428, which appears to be driven by a Th17 response and corresponding eosinophilia. Our results are in accordance with other reports of vaccine-induced disease exacerbation in rodents and emphasize the need to better understand the basic mechanisms of M. pneumoniae pathogenesis.
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Siqueira FM, Schrank A, Schrank IS. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae transcription unit organization: genome survey and prediction. DNA Res 2011; 18:413-22. [PMID: 22086999 PMCID: PMC3223074 DOI: 10.1093/dnares/dsr028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is associated with swine respiratory diseases. Although gene organization and regulation are well known in many prokaryotic organisms, knowledge on mycoplasma is limited. This study performed a comparative analysis of three strains of M. hyopneumoniae (7448, J and 232), with a focus on genome organization and gene comparison for open read frame (ORF) cluster (OC) identification. An in silico analysis of gene organization demonstrated 117 OCs and 34 single ORFs in M. hyopneumoniae 7448 and J, while 116 OCs and 36 single ORFs were identified in M. hyopneumoniae 232. Genomic comparison revealed high synteny and conservation of gene order between the OCs defined for 7448 and J strains as well as for 7448 and 232 strains. Twenty-one OCs were chosen and experimentally confirmed by reverse transcription–PCR from M. hyopneumoniae 7448 genome, validating our prediction. A subset of the ORFs within an OC could be independently transcribed due to the presence of internal promoters. Our results suggest that transcription occurs in ‘run-on’ from an upstream promoter in M. hyopneumoniae, thus forming large ORF clusters (from 2 to 29 ORFs in the same orientation) and indicating a complex transcriptional organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Maboni Siqueira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Molecular e Celular, Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Schmidl SR, Otto A, Lluch-Senar M, Piñol J, Busse J, Becher D, Stülke J. A trigger enzyme in Mycoplasma pneumoniae: impact of the glycerophosphodiesterase GlpQ on virulence and gene expression. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002263. [PMID: 21966272 PMCID: PMC3178575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a causative agent of atypical pneumonia. The formation of hydrogen peroxide, a product of glycerol metabolism, is essential for host cell cytotoxicity. Phosphatidylcholine is the major carbon source available on lung epithelia, and its utilization requires the cleavage of deacylated phospholipids to glycerol-3-phosphate and choline. M. pneumoniae possesses two potential glycerophosphodiesterases, MPN420 (GlpQ) and MPN566. In this work, the function of these proteins was analyzed by biochemical, genetic, and physiological studies. The results indicate that only GlpQ is an active glycerophosphodiesterase. MPN566 has no enzymatic activity as glycerophosphodiesterase and the inactivation of the gene did not result in any detectable phenotype. Inactivation of the glpQ gene resulted in reduced growth in medium with glucose as the carbon source, in loss of hydrogen peroxide production when phosphatidylcholine was present, and in a complete loss of cytotoxicity towards HeLa cells. All these phenotypes were reverted upon complementation of the mutant. Moreover, the glpQ mutant strain exhibited a reduced gliding velocity. A comparison of the proteomes of the wild type strain and the glpQ mutant revealed that this enzyme is also implicated in the control of gene expression. Several proteins were present in higher or lower amounts in the mutant. This apparent regulation by GlpQ is exerted at the level of transcription as determined by mRNA slot blot analyses. All genes subject to GlpQ-dependent control have a conserved potential cis-acting element upstream of the coding region. This element overlaps the promoter in the case of the genes that are repressed in a GlpQ-dependent manner and it is located upstream of the promoter for GlpQ-activated genes. We may suggest that GlpQ acts as a trigger enzyme that measures the availability of its product glycerol-3-phosphate and uses this information to differentially control gene expression. Mycoplasma pneumoniae serves as a model organism for bacteria with very small genomes that are nonetheless independently viable. These bacteria infect the human lung and cause an atypical pneumonia. The major virulence determinant of M. pneumoniae is hydrogen peroxide that is generated during the utilization of glycerol-3-phosphate, which might be derived from free glycerol or from the degradation of phospholipids. Indeed, lecithin is the by far most abundant carbon source on lung epithelia. In this study, we made use of the recent availability of methods to isolate mutants of M. pneumoniae and characterized the enzyme that generates glycerol-3-phosphate from deacylated lecithin (glycerophosphocholine). This enzyme, called GlpQ, is essential for the formation of hydrogen peroxide when the bacteria are incubated with glycerophosphocholine. Moreover, M. pneumoniae is unable to cause any detectable damage to the host cells in the absence of GlpQ. This underlines the important role of phospholipid metabolism for the virulence of M. pneumoniae. We observed that GlpQ in addition to its enzymatic activity is also involved in the control of expression of several genes, among them the glycerol transporter. Thus, GlpQ is central to the normal physiology and to pathogenicity of the minimal pathogen M. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian R. Schmidl
- Department of General Microbiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Otto
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Maria Lluch-Senar
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaume Piñol
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julia Busse
- Department of General Microbiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dörte Becher
- Institut für Mikrobiologie und Molekularbiologie, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jörg Stülke
- Department of General Microbiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Relich RF, Balish MF. Insights into the function of Mycoplasma pneumoniae protein P30 from orthologous gene replacement. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2011; 157:2862-2870. [PMID: 21778204 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.052464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The attachment organelles of bacterial species belonging to the Mycoplasma pneumoniae phylogenetic cluster are required for host cytadherence, gliding motility and virulence. Despite being closely related, these bacteria possess distinct cellular morphologies and gliding characteristics. The molecular mechanisms for most attachment organelle phenotypes, including shape and ability to power motility, are obscure. The attachment organelle-associated P30 protein of M. pneumoniae is implicated in both adherence and motility, with mutations negatively impacting cell morphology, adherence, gliding and virulence. To test whether the P30 alleles of different mycoplasma species confer species-specific attachment organelle properties, we created an M. pneumoniae strain in which the Mycoplasma genitalium P30 orthologue, P32, was substituted for the native P30. Selected clones were visualized by scanning electron microscopy to assess morphology and by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy to localize P32. Cytadherence ability and gliding motility were assessed by haemadsorption assay and phase-contrast microcinematography, respectively. Cell and attachment organelle morphologies were indistinguishable from wild-type M. pneumoniae as well as M. pneumoniae II-3 expressing a C-terminally 6×His-tagged P30 construct. P32 was localized to the tip of the attachment organelle of transformant cells. Although a specific role for P30 in species-specific phenotypes was not identified, this first test of orthologous gene replacement in different mycoplasma species demonstrates that the differences in the M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium proteins contribute little if anything to the different attachment organelle phenotypes between these species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan F Relich
- Department of Microbiology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA
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Halbedel S, Eilers H, Jonas B, Busse J, Hecker M, Engelmann S, Stülke J. Transcription in Mycoplasma pneumoniae: analysis of the promoters of the ackA and ldh genes. J Mol Biol 2007; 371:596-607. [PMID: 17586527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.05.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2007] [Revised: 05/30/2007] [Accepted: 05/30/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The nucleotide sequences that control transcription initiation and regulation in Mycoplasma pneumoniae are poorly understood. Moreover, only few regulatory events have been reported for M. pneumoniae. We have studied changes in the global protein synthesis pattern in M. pneumoniae in response to the presence of glycerol. The ackA and ldh genes, encoding acetate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, respectively, were controlled in a carbon source-dependent manner. While the ackA gene was strongly expressed in the presence of glucose, transcription of ldh was induced by glycerol. The promoters of both genes were mapped by primer extension analysis. Molecular analysis of transcription regulatory mechanisms in M. pneumoniae has so far not been possible due to the lack of appropriate reporter systems that can be used to study the activity of promoter fragments and their mutant derivatives in vivo. Recently, a reporter system has been developed which allows cloning of promoter fragments in front of a promoterless lacZ gene and inserting this construct into the genome of M. pneumoniae. To study the requirements of M. pneumoniae RNA polymerase for promoter recognition, a series of fusions of deletion and mutant variants of the ldh promoter was constructed and analyzed in vivo. While mutations affecting the -10 region strongly interfered with gene expression, the -35 region seems to be of minor importance in M. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Halbedel
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany
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10
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Hasselbring BM, Page CA, Sheppard ES, Krause DC. Transposon mutagenesis identifies genes associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae gliding motility. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:6335-45. [PMID: 16923901 PMCID: PMC1595379 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00698-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2006] [Accepted: 06/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The wall-less prokaryote Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common cause of chronic respiratory tract infections in humans, is considered to be among the smallest and simplest known cells capable of self-replication, yet it has a complex architecture with a novel cytoskeleton and a differentiated terminal organelle that function in adherence, cell division, and gliding motility. Recent findings have begun to elucidate the hierarchy of protein interactions required for terminal organelle assembly, but the engineering of its gliding machinery is largely unknown. In the current study, we assessed gliding in cytadherence mutants lacking terminal organelle proteins B, C, P1, and HMW1. Furthermore, we screened over 3,500 M. pneumoniae transposon mutants individually to identify genes associated with gliding but dispensable for cytadherence. Forty-seven transformants having motility defects were characterized further, with transposon insertions mapping to 32 different open reading frames widely distributed throughout the M. pneumoniae genome; 30 of these were dispensable for cytadherence. We confirmed the clonality of selected transformants by Southern blot hybridization and PCR analysis and characterized satellite growth and gliding by microcinematography. For some mutants, satellite growth was absent or developed more slowly than that of the wild type. Others produced lawn-like growth largely devoid of typical microcolonies, while still others had a dull, asymmetrical leading edge or a filamentous appearance of colony spreading. All mutants exhibited substantially reduced gliding velocities and/or frequencies. These findings significantly expand our understanding of the complexity of M. pneumoniae gliding and the identity of possible elements of the gliding machinery, providing a foundation for a detailed analysis of the engineering and regulation of motility in this unusual prokaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Hasselbring
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, 523 Biological Sciences Building, GA 30602, USA
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11
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Halbedel S, Stülke J. Probing in vivo promoter activities in Mycoplasma pneumoniae: a system for generation of single-copy reporter constructs. Appl Environ Microbiol 2006; 72:1696-9. [PMID: 16461731 PMCID: PMC1392949 DOI: 10.1128/aem.72.2.1696-1699.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleotide sequences that control transcription initiation and regulation in Mycoplasma pneumoniae are poorly understood. In this work, we developed a lacZ-based reporter plasmid that can be used to integrate fusions of promoter fragments to a promoterless lacZ gene into the chromosome of M. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Halbedel
- Department of General Microbiology, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August University Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 8, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
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12
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Musatovova O, Dhandayuthapani S, Baseman JB. Transcriptional heat shock response in the smallest known self-replicating cell, Mycoplasma genitalium. J Bacteriol 2006; 188:2845-55. [PMID: 16585746 PMCID: PMC1447023 DOI: 10.1128/jb.188.8.2845-2855.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2005] [Accepted: 02/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium is a human bacterial pathogen linked to urethritis and other sexually transmitted diseases as well as respiratory and joint pathologies. Though its complete genome sequence is available, little is understood about the regulation of gene expression in this smallest known, self-replicating cell, as its genome lacks orthologues for most of the conventional bacterial regulators. Still, the transcriptional repressor HrcA (heat regulation at CIRCE [controlling inverted repeat of chaperone expression]) is predicted in the M. genitalium genome as well as three copies of its corresponding regulatory sequence CIRCE. We investigated the transcriptional response of M. genitalium to elevated temperatures and detected the differential induction of four hsp genes. Three of the up-regulated genes, which encode DnaK, ClpB, and Lon, possess CIRCE within their promoter regions, suggesting that the HrcA-CIRCE regulatory mechanism is functional. Additionally, one of three DnaJ-encoding genes was up-regulated, even though no known regulatory sequences were found in the promoter region. Transcript levels returned to control values after 1 h of incubation at 37 degrees C, reinforcing the transient nature of the heat shock transcriptional response. Interestingly, neither of the groESL operon genes, which encode the GroEL chaperone and its cochaperone GroES, responded to heat shock. These data suggest that M. genitalium selectively regulates a limited number of genes in response to heat shock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana Musatovova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, mail code 7758, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
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13
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Hasselbring BM, Jordan JL, Krause DC. Mutant analysis reveals a specific requirement for protein P30 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae gliding motility. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:6281-9. [PMID: 16159760 PMCID: PMC1236621 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.18.6281-6289.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell-wall-less prokaryote Mycoplasma pneumoniae, long considered among the smallest and simplest cells capable of self-replication, has a distinct cellular polarity characterized by the presence of a differentiated terminal organelle which functions in adherence to human respiratory epithelium, gliding motility, and cell division. Characterization of hemadsorption (HA)-negative mutants has resulted in identification of several terminal organelle proteins, including P30, the loss of which results in developmental defects and decreased adherence to host cells, but their impact on M. pneumoniae gliding has not been investigated. Here we examined the contribution of P30 to gliding motility on the basis of satellite growth and cell gliding velocity and frequency. M. pneumoniae HA mutant II-3 lacking P30 was nonmotile, but HA mutant II-7 producing a truncated P30 was motile, albeit at a velocity 50-fold less than that of the wild type. HA-positive revertant II-3R producing an altered P30 was unexpectedly not fully wild type with respect to gliding. Complementation of mutant II-3 with recombinant wild-type and mutant alleles confirmed the correlation between gliding defect and loss or alteration in P30. Surprisingly, fusion of yellow fluorescent protein to the C terminus of P30 had little impact on cell gliding velocity and significantly enhanced HA. Finally, while quantitative examination of HA revealed clear distinctions among these mutant strains, gliding defects did not correlate strictly with the HA phenotype, and all strains attached to glass at wild-type levels. Taken together, these findings suggest a role for P30 in gliding motility that is distinct from its requirement in adherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Hasselbring
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, 523 Biological Sciences Building, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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Benders GA, Powell BC, Hutchison CA. Transcriptional analysis of the conserved ftsZ gene cluster in Mycoplasma genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:4542-51. [PMID: 15968065 PMCID: PMC1151755 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.13.4542-4551.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Several experimental approaches were used to construct a detailed transcriptional profile of the phylogenetically conserved ftsZ cell division gene cluster in both Mycoplasma genitalium and its closest relative, Mycoplasma pneumoniae. We determined initiation and termination points for the cluster, as well as an absolute steady-state RNA level for each gene. Transcription of this cluster in both these organisms was shown to be highly strand specific. While the four genes in this cluster are cotranscribed, their transcription unit also includes two genes of close proximity yet disparate function. A transcription initiation point immediately upstream of these two genes was detected in M. genitalium but not M. pneumoniae. In M. pneumoniae, transcription of the six genes terminates at a poly(U)-tailed hairpin. In M. genitalium, this transcription terminates at two closely spaced points by an unknown mechanism. Real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis of this cluster in M. pneumoniae shows that mRNA levels for all six genes vary at most fivefold and form a gradient of decreasing quantity with increasing distance from the promoter at the beginning of the cluster. mRNA from coding regions was approximately 20- to 100-fold more abundant than that from intergenic regions. We estimated the most abundant mRNA we detected at 0.6 copy per cell. We conclude that groups of functionally related genes in M. genitalium and M. pneumoniae are often preceded by promoters but rarely followed by terminators. This causes functionally unrelated genes to be commonly cotranscribed in these organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwynedd A Benders
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA
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15
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Vasconcelos ATR, Ferreira HB, Bizarro CV, Bonatto SL, Carvalho MO, Pinto PM, Almeida DF, Almeida LGP, Almeida R, Alves-Filho L, Assunção EN, Azevedo VAC, Bogo MR, Brigido MM, Brocchi M, Burity HA, Camargo AA, Camargo SS, Carepo MS, Carraro DM, de Mattos Cascardo JC, Castro LA, Cavalcanti G, Chemale G, Collevatti RG, Cunha CW, Dallagiovanna B, Dambrós BP, Dellagostin OA, Falcão C, Fantinatti-Garboggini F, Felipe MSS, Fiorentin L, Franco GR, Freitas NSA, Frías D, Grangeiro TB, Grisard EC, Guimarães CT, Hungria M, Jardim SN, Krieger MA, Laurino JP, Lima LFA, Lopes MI, Loreto ELS, Madeira HMF, Manfio GP, Maranhão AQ, Martinkovics CT, Medeiros SRB, Moreira MAM, Neiva M, Ramalho-Neto CE, Nicolás MF, Oliveira SC, Paixão RFC, Pedrosa FO, Pena SDJ, Pereira M, Pereira-Ferrari L, Piffer I, Pinto LS, Potrich DP, Salim ACM, Santos FR, Schmitt R, Schneider MPC, Schrank A, Schrank IS, Schuck AF, Seuanez HN, Silva DW, Silva R, Silva SC, Soares CMA, Souza KRL, Souza RC, Staats CC, Steffens MBR, Teixeira SMR, Urmenyi TP, Vainstein MH, Zuccherato LW, Simpson AJG, Zaha A. Swine and poultry pathogens: the complete genome sequences of two strains of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and a strain of Mycoplasma synoviae. J Bacteriol 2005; 187:5568-77. [PMID: 16077101 PMCID: PMC1196056 DOI: 10.1128/jb.187.16.5568-5577.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2005] [Accepted: 05/19/2005] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This work reports the results of analyses of three complete mycoplasma genomes, a pathogenic (7448) and a nonpathogenic (J) strain of the swine pathogen Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and a strain of the avian pathogen Mycoplasma synoviae; the genome sizes of the three strains were 920,079 bp, 897,405 bp, and 799,476 bp, respectively. These genomes were compared with other sequenced mycoplasma genomes reported in the literature to examine several aspects of mycoplasma evolution. Strain-specific regions, including integrative and conjugal elements, and genome rearrangements and alterations in adhesin sequences were observed in the M. hyopneumoniae strains, and all of these were potentially related to pathogenicity. Genomic comparisons revealed that reduction in genome size implied loss of redundant metabolic pathways, with maintenance of alternative routes in different species. Horizontal gene transfer was consistently observed between M. synoviae and Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Our analyses indicated a likely transfer event of hemagglutinin-coding DNA sequences from M. gallisepticum to M. synoviae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Tereza R Vasconcelos
- Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9500, Prédio 43421, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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16
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Chen CH, Cheng JC, Cho YC, Hsu WH. A gene cluster for the fatty acid catabolism from Pseudonocardia autotrophica BCRC12444. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2005; 329:863-8. [PMID: 15752735 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Genes involved in fatty acid degradation (fad) were isolated from Pseudonocardia autotrophica BBRC12444. Six open reading frames and a bi-directional promoter region were identified by DNA sequence analyses and primer extension. The fad gene cluster included five ORFs, designated fadA, fadB, fadR, fadC, and fadD. Base on their amino acid sequence identity, the gene products were identified as acyl-CoA ligase (FadA), enoyl-CoA hydratase (FadB), transcriptional regulator (FadR), cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (FadC), and ferredoxin (FadD). Regulatory protein, FadR, could bind to an operator sequence located in the divergent promoter region between fadR and fadC genes, implicating the control of fatty acid degradation. The real-time quantitative PCR assays revealed that the expression of the fadA, fadB, fadR, and fadC genes was induced by long chain fatty acids and repressed by glucose. All results demonstrated that the fad gene cluster participated in the pathway of the fatty acid catabolism. This is the first bacterial fad gene cluster to be reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Hsien Chen
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan
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17
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Musatovova O, Dhandayuthapani S, Baseman JB. Transcriptional starts for cytadherence-related operons of Mycoplasma genitalium. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2004; 229:73-81. [PMID: 14659545 DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1097(03)00789-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One mechanism of mycoplasma cytadherence possessed by several mycoplasmas, including Mycoplasma genitalium, necessitates coordination of multiple adhesins and adherence-associated proteins. The genes encoding these adherence-related proteins are located in three different regions of the M. genitalium genome and exhibit an operon-like organization with surrounding genes. To understand whether genes encoding adherence-related proteins in M. genitalium are regulated as operons, we performed transcriptional and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses on the loci mg191 (encoding major cytadhesin P140 localized at the specialized tip organelle) and mg218 (encoding high molecular mass cytadherence-related protein MG218 required for tip-mediated adherence). Primer extension suggested that transcription of mg191 was under the control of two transcriptional starts, one immediately upstream of mg191 (Prm(MG191)) and the other upstream of mg190 (Prm(MG190)). In contrast, mg218 appeared to be transcribed by a single transcriptional start, located upstream of mg217. RT-PCR indicated that transcription was continuous from mg190 to mg192 and mg217 to mg219, suggesting that these loci constitute true operons. Additional data revealed heretofore undetected similarities between adherence-related operons of M. genitalium and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oxana Musatovova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Mail Code 7758, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
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18
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Willby MJ, Krause DC. Characterization of a Mycoplasma pneumoniae hmw3 mutant: implications for attachment organelle assembly. J Bacteriol 2002; 184:3061-8. [PMID: 12003948 PMCID: PMC135052 DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.11.3061-3068.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The proteins required for adherence of the pathogen Mycoplasma pneumoniae to host respiratory epithelial cells are localized to a polar structure, the attachment organelle. A number of these proteins have been characterized functionally by analysis of noncytadhering mutants, and many are components of the mycoplasma cytoskeleton. Mutations in some cytadherence-associated proteins have pleiotropic effects, including decreased stability of other proteins, loss of adherence and motility, and abnormal morphology. The function of protein HMW3, a component of the attachment organelle, has been difficult to discern due to lack of an appropriate mutant. In this paper, we report that loss of HMW3 resulted in decreased levels and more diffuse localization of cytoskeletal protein P65, subtle changes in morphology, inability to cluster the adhesin P1 consistently at the terminal organelle, reduced cytadherence, and, in some cells, an atypical electron-dense core in the attachment organelle. This phenotype suggests a role for HMW3 in the architecture and stability of the attachment organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melisa J Willby
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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19
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Jordan JL, Berry KM, Balish MF, Krause DC. Stability and subcellular localization of cytadherence-associated protein P65 in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Bacteriol 2001; 183:7387-91. [PMID: 11717298 PMCID: PMC95588 DOI: 10.1128/jb.183.24.7387-7891.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The surface protein P65 is a constituent of the Mycoplasma pneumoniae cytoskeleton and is present at reduced levels in mutants lacking the cytadherence accessory protein HMW2. Pulse-chase studies demonstrated that P65 is subject to accelerated turnover in the absence of HMW2. P65 was also less abundant in noncytadhering mutants lacking HMW1 or P30 but was present at wild-type levels in mutants lacking proteins A, B, C, and P1. P65 exhibited a polar localization like that in wild-type M. pneumoniae in all mutants having normal levels of HMW1 and HMW2. Partial or complete loss of these proteins, however, correlated with severe reduction in the P65 level and the inability to localize P65 properly.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Jordan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
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20
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Abstract
Very little is understood of the structure of mycoplasma promoters, and this limits interpretation of genomic sequence data in these species. In this study the transcriptional start points of 22 genes of Mycoplasma pneumoniae were identified and the regions 5' to the start point compared. Although a strong consensus -10 region could be seen, there was only a weak consensus in the -35 region. A high proportion of transcripts had heterogeneous 5'-ends and characterisation of the sequence of the 5'-ends of two transcripts established that the heterogeneity was derived from initiation of transcription at reduced levels between 1 and 4 bases 5' to the major starting point. In addition to this apparently unique feature, a high proportion of transcripts lacked a 5' untranslated leader region that could contain a ribosomal binding site. Such leaderless transcripts are seen rarely in other bacterial species. Although the promoter regions for a number of members of lipoprotein multigene families were examined, no obvious explanation for regulation of expression was apparent. Using the data from this study an improved matrix for prediction of M.pneumoniae promoters was derived. Application of this matrix to the sequences immediately 3' and 5' to each predicted start codon in the genome suggested that most M. pneumoniae transcriptional start points were likely to occur between 5 and 30 bases 5' to the start codon.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Weiner
- Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie Heidelberg, Mikrobiologie, Universität Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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21
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Boguslavsky S, Menaker D, Lysnyansky I, Liu T, Levisohn S, Rosengarten R, García M, Yogev D. Molecular characterization of the Mycoplasma gallisepticum pvpA gene which encodes a putative variable cytadhesin protein. Infect Immun 2000; 68:3956-64. [PMID: 10858209 PMCID: PMC101673 DOI: 10.1128/iai.68.7.3956-3964.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A putative cytadhesin-related protein (PvpA) undergoing variation in its expression was identified in the avian pathogen Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The pvpA gene was cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli, and sequenced. It exhibits 54 and 52% homology with the P30 and P32 cytadhesin proteins of the human pathogens Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium, respectively. In addition, 50% homology was found with the MGC2 cytadhesin of M. gallisepticum and 49% homology was found with a stretch of 205 amino acids of the cytadherence accessory protein HMW3 of M. pneumoniae. The PvpA molecule possesses a proline-rich carboxy-terminal region (28%) containing two identical directly repeated sequences of 52 amino acids and a tetrapeptide motif (Pro-Arg-Pro-X) which is repeated 14 times. Genetic analysis of several clonal isolates representing different expression states of the PvpA product ruled out chromosomal rearrangement as the mechanism for PvpA phase variation. The molecular basis of PvpA variation was revealed in a short tract of repeated GAA codons, encoding five successive glutamate resides, located in the N-terminal region and subject to frequent mutation generating an in-frame UAA stop codon. Size variation of the PvpA protein was observed among M. gallisepticum strains, ranging from 48 to 55 kDa and caused by several types of deletions occurring at the PvpA C-terminal end and within the two directly repeated sequences. By immunoelectron microscopy, the PvpA protein was localized on the mycoplasma cell surface, in particular on the terminal tip structure. Collectively, these findings suggest that PvpA is a newly identified variable surface cytadhesin protein of M. gallisepticum.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Boguslavsky
- Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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22
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Göhlmann HW, Weiner J, Schön A, Herrmann R. Identification of a small RNA within the pdh gene cluster of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Mycoplasma genitalium. J Bacteriol 2000; 182:3281-4. [PMID: 10809712 PMCID: PMC94519 DOI: 10.1128/jb.182.11.3281-3284.2000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A highly abundant and heterogeneous small RNA about 205 to 210 bases long named MP200 RNA has been identified in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. It was localized on the genome within a 319-bp-long intergenic space of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (pdh) gene cluster. A database search at the DNA level revealed the highest similarity to a sequence located within the pdh gene cluster of Mycoplasma genitalium that was also shown to be transcribed into two abundant, but smaller RNAs than the ones in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The RNAs from both M. pneumoniae and M. genitalium have the potential to code for cysteine-rich 29- and 23-amino-acid-long peptides, but so far, these peptides have not been identified experimentally in bacterial protein extracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- H W Göhlmann
- Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie Heidelberg, Mikrobiologie Universität Heidelberg, Germany
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