Structure and genetic content of the megaplasmids of neurotoxigenic clostridium butyricum type E strains from Italy.

ABSTRACT: We determined the genetic maps of the megaplasmids of six neutoroxigenic Clostridium butyricum type E strains from Italy using molecular and bioinformatics techniques. The megaplasmids are circular, not linear as we had previously proposed. The differently-sized megaplasmids share a genetic region that includes structural, metabolic and regulatory genes. In addition, we found that a 168 kb genetic region is present only in the larger megaplasmids of two tested strains, whereas it is absent from the smaller megaplasmids of the four remaining strains. The genetic region unique to the larger megaplasmids contains, among other features, a locus for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR associated (cas) genes, i.e. a bacterial adaptive immune system provi

SUBMITTER: Iacobino A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3744543 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature