Helicobacter pylori expresses an autolytic enzyme: gene identification, cloning, and theoretical protein structure.

ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori is an important pathogen of the gastric system. The clinical outcome of infection is thought to be correlated with some genetic features of the bacterium. However, due to the extreme genetic variability of this organism, it is hard to draw definitive conclusions concerning its virulence factors. Here we describe a novel H. pylori gene which expresses an autolytic enzyme that is also capable of degrading the cell walls of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. We designated this gene lys. We found this gene and observed its expression in a number of unrelated clinical strains, a fact that suggests that it is well conserved in the species. A comparison of the nucleotide sequences of lys and the hypothetical gene HP0339 from H. pylori strain ATCC 26695 revealed alm

SUBMITTER: Marsich E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC151945 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature