Genome diversification in Staphylococcus aureus: Molecular evolution of a highly variable chromosomal region encoding the Staphylococcal exotoxin-like family of proteins.

ABSTRACT: Recent genomic studies have revealed extensive variation in natural populations of many pathogenic bacteria. However, the evolutionary processes which contribute to much of this variation remain unclear. A previous whole-genome DNA microarray study identified variation at a large chromosomal region (RD13) of Staphylococcus aureus which encodes a family of proteins with homology to staphylococcal and streptococcal superantigens, designated staphylococcal exotoxin-like (SET) proteins. In the present study, RD13 was found in all 63 S. aureus isolates of divergent clonal, geographic, and disease origins but contained a high level of variation in gene content in different strains. A central variable region which contained from 6 to 10 different set genes, depending on the strain, was identified

SUBMITTER: Fitzgerald JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC153281 | biostudies-literature | 2003 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature