Identification of a divergent O-acetyltransferase gene oac 1b from Shigella flexneri serotype 1b strains.

ABSTRACT: Shigella flexneri is a leading cause of bacterial dysentery in developing countries. Among the 15 known serotypes, four (1b, 3a, 3b and 4b) contain a group 6 epitope due to an acetyl group connected to the O-2 position of rhamnose III on the tetrasaccharide structure of the lipopolysaccharide. O-acetyltransferase encoded by a bacteriophage, Sf6, mediates the acetylation reaction. We found that the oac gene in serotype 1b strains was very different from that in serotypes 3a, 3b and 4b strains and is herein after referred to as oac 1b which shares with oac 88%-89% identity at the DNA level and 85% identity at the protein level. Considering that S. flexneri strains of serotypes 1-5 share a recent common ancestry, the divergent oac 1b is more likely to have been obtained from outside S. flexne

SUBMITTER: Sun Q 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3630932 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature