A hypervariable 130-kilobase genomic region of Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense comprises a magnetosome island which undergoes frequent rearrangements during stationary growth.

ABSTRACT: Genes involved in magnetite biomineralization are clustered in the genome of the magnetotactic bacterium Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense. We analyzed a 482-kb genomic fragment, in which we identified an approximately 130-kb region representing a putative genomic "magnetosome island" (MAI). In addition to all known magnetosome genes, the MAI contains genes putatively involved in magnetosome biomineralization and numerous genes with unknown functions, as well as pseudogenes, and it is particularly rich in insertion elements. Substantial sequence polymorphism of clones from different subcultures indicated that this region undergoes frequent rearrangements during serial subcultivation in the laboratory. Spontaneous mutants affected in magnetosome formation arise at a frequency of up to 10(-2)

SUBMITTER: Ullrich S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1272989 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature