Sequence analysis of four Shigella boydii O-antigen loci: implication for Escherichia coli and Shigella relationships.

ABSTRACT: Shigella strains are in reality clones of Escherichia coli and are believed to have emerged relatively recently (G. M. Pupo, R. Lan, and P. R. Reeves, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:10567-10572, 2000). There are 33 O-antigen forms in these Shigella clones, of which 12 are identical to O antigens of other E. coli strains. We sequenced O-antigen gene clusters from Shigella boydii serotypes 4, 5, 6, and 9 and also studied the O53- and O79-antigen gene clusters of E. coli, encoding O antigens identical to those of S. boydii serotype 4 and S. boydii serotype 5, respectively. In both cases the S. boydii and E. coli O-antigen gene clusters have the same genes and organization. The clusters of both S. boydii 6 and S. boydii 9 O antigens have atypical features, with a functional insertion sequence a

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC100072 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature