Hong, Yaoqin, Cunneen, Monica M., and Reeves, Peter R. (2019) Two extremely divergent sequence forms of the genes that define Escherichia coli group 3 capsules suggest a very long history since their common ancestor. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 366 (8). fnz091.

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Abstract

Capsules are a critical virulence factor in many pathogenic Escherichia coli, of which groups 2 and 3 capsules are synthesised by the ABC transporter pathway. The well-studied forms are in group 2 and much of our knowledge of group 3 is inferred from our understanding of group 2. We analyse six group 3 gene clusters including representatives of K10, K11 and K96, and find unexpected diversity. Groups 2 and 3 both have gene clusters with terminal regions 1 and 3 containing mostly genes shared by all members of both groups, plus a central region 2, that in group 2 has the genes for synthesising the serotype-specific repeat unit. We find that in all but one case group 3 gene clusters include, in addition to serotype-specific genes, a previously unrecognised set of shared genes in region 2 that probably codes for an additional structural element. Also, the six shared genes in regions 1 and 3 of group 3 exist in two very different sequence forms. It appears that the E. coli ABC transporter capsules have a very long history, with more fundamental diversity present in group 3, but greater diversity in the exposed strongly antigenic serotype-specific component encoded by region 2.

Item ID:	83814
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1574-6968
Copyright Information:	© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.
Date Deposited:	16 Oct 2024 05:44
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