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Horizontal transfer of drug-resistant aminoacyl-transfer-RNA synthetases of anthrax and Gram-positive pathogens.

ABSTRACT: The screening of new antibiotics against several bacterial strains often reveals unexpected occurrences of natural drug resistance. Two examples of this involve specific inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus isoleucyl-transfer-RNA synthetase 1 (IleRS1) and, more recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae methionyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (MetRS1). In both cases, resistance is due to the presence of a second gene that encodes another synthetase (IleRS2 or MetRS2). Here, we show that both S. pneumoniae MetRS2 and S. aureus IleRS2 have closely related homologues in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax. Furthermore, similar to drug-resistant pathogens, strains of B. anthracis and its closest relative, B. cereus, also have wild-type ileS1 and metS1 genes. Clostridium perfringens, the causative agent of gangrene, also has two metS genes, whereas Oceanobacillus iheyensis isolated from deep-sea sediments has a single ileS2-type gene. This study shows the importance of understanding complex evolutionary networks of ancient horizontal gene transfer for the development of novel antibiotics.

SUBMITTER: Brown JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1326320 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Horizontal transfer of drug-resistant aminoacyl-transfer-RNA synthetases of anthrax and Gram-positive pathogens.

Brown James R JR Gentry Daniel D Becker Julie A JA Ingraham Karen K Holmes David J DJ Stanhope Michael J MJ

EMBO reports 20030701 7

The screening of new antibiotics against several bacterial strains often reveals unexpected occurrences of natural drug resistance. Two examples of this involve specific inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus isoleucyl-transfer-RNA synthetase 1 (IleRS1) and, more recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae methionyl-tRNA synthetase 1 (MetRS1). In both cases, resistance is due to the presence of a second gene that encodes another synthetase (IleRS2 or MetRS2). Here, we show that both S. pneumoniae MetRS2 and ...[more]

PMID: 12792655

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Horizontal transfer of drug-resistant aminoacyl-transfer-RNA synthetases of anthrax and Gram-positive pathogens.

Publications

Horizontal transfer of drug-resistant aminoacyl-transfer-RNA synthetases of anthrax and Gram-positive pathogens.

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