Orientia tsutsugamushi: analysis of the mobilome of a highly fragmented and repetitive genome reveals ongoing lateral gene transfer in an obligate intracellular bacterium.

ABSTRACT: The rickettsial human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot) is an obligate intracellular Gram-negative bacterium with one of the most highly fragmented and repetitive genomes of any organism. Around 50% of its ~2.3 Mb genome is comprised of repetitive DNA that is derived from the highly proliferated Rickettsiales amplified genetic element (RAGE). RAGE is an integrative and conjugative element (ICE) that is present in a single Ot genome in up to 92 copies, most of which are partially or heavily degraded. In this report, we analysed RAGEs in eight fully sequenced Ot genomes and manually curated and reannotated all RAGE-associated genes, including those encoding DNA mobilisation proteins, P-type (vir) and F-type (tra) type IV secretion system (T4SS) components, Ankyrin rep

SUBMITTER: Giengkam S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10197636 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature