Phase variation and microevolution at homopolymeric tracts in Bordetella pertussis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, is a highly clonal pathogen of the respiratory tract. Its lack of genetic diversity, relative to many bacterial pathogens, could limit its ability to adapt to a hostile and changing host environment. This limitation might be overcome by phase variation, as observed for other mucosal pathogens. One of the most common mechanisms of phase variation is reversible expansion or contraction of homopolymeric tracts (HPTs).

Results

The genomes of B. pertussis and the two closely related species, B. bronchiseptica and B. parapertussis, were screened for homopolymeric tracts longer than expected on the basis of chance, given their nucleotide compositions. Sixty-nine such HPTs were found in total among the three gen

SUBMITTER: Gogol EB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1891110 | biostudies-literature | 2007 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature