Evolution of competence and DNA uptake specificity in the Pasteurellaceae.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Many bacteria can take up DNA, but the evolutionary history and function of natural competence and transformation remain obscure. The sporadic distribution of competence suggests it is frequently lost and/or gained, but this has not been examined in an explicitly phylogenetic context. Additional insight may come from the sequence specificity of uptake by species such as Haemophilus influenzae, where a 9 bp uptake signal sequence (USS) repeat is both highly overrepresented in the genome and needed for efficient DNA uptake. We used the distribution of competence genes and DNA uptake specificity in H. influenzae's family, the Pasteurellaceae, to examine the ancestry of competence.

Results

A phylogeny of the Pasteurellaceae based on 12 protein coding genes from specie

SUBMITTER: Redfield RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1626085 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature