Comparative genomic analyses of Streptococcus mutans provide insights into chromosomal shuffling and species-specific content.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Streptococcus mutans is the major pathogen of dental caries, and it occasionally causes infective endocarditis. While the pathogenicity of this species is distinct from other human pathogenic streptococci, the species-specific evolution of the genus Streptococcus and its genomic diversity are poorly understood.

Results

We have sequenced the complete genome of S. mutans serotype c strain NN2025, and compared it with the genome of UA159. The NN2025 genome is composed of 2,013,587 bp, and the two strains show highly conserved core-genome. However, comparison of the two S. mutans strains showed a large genomic inversion across the replication axis producing an X-shaped symmetrical DNA dot plot. This phenomenon was also observed between other streptococcal species, ind

SUBMITTER: Maruyama F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2907686 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature