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Volume 148, Issue 6

Genetic diversity of three loci for biosynthesis of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) in species

The GenBank accession numbers for the sequences reported in this paper are AF470655–AF470685.

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Abstract

Lipooligosaccharide (LOS) is a major virulence factor of the pathogenic . Nine genes at three chromosomal loci (, , ) encoding the glycosyltransferases responsible for the biosynthesis of LOS oligosaccharide chains were examined in 26 , 51 and 18 commensal strains. DNA hybridization, PCR and nucleotide sequence data were compared to previously reported genes. Analysis of the genetic organization of the loci revealed that in , the and loci were hypervariable genomic regions, whereas the locus was conserved. In , no variability in the composition or organization of the three loci was observed. genes were detected only in some commensal species. The genetic organization of the locus was classified into eight types and the locus was classified into four types. Two types of arrangement at (II and IV) and one type of arrangement at (IV) were novel genetic organizations reported in this study. Based on the three loci, 10 LOS genotypes of were distinguished. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a gene cluster, , which separated from the homologous genes and . The and genes were mutually exclusive and were located at the same position in . The data demonstrated that pathogenic and commensal share a common gene pool and horizontal gene transfer appears to contribute to the genetic diversity of the loci in .

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Keyword(s): antigenic variation , glycosyltransferase , LOS, lipooligosaccharide , Neisseria gonorrhoeae , Neisseria meningitidis and oligosaccharide structure
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2002-06-01
2024-04-18
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Genetic diversity of three lgt loci for biosynthesis of lipooligosaccharide (LOS) in Neisseria speciesThe GenBank accession numbers for the sequences reported in this paper are AF470655–AF470685.
Microbiology 148, 1833 (2002); https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-148-6-1833
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-148-6-1833
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-148-6-1833
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