Identification of a lineage specific zinc responsive genomic island in Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Maintenance of metal homeostasis is crucial in bacterial pathogenicity as metal starvation is the most important mechanism in the nutritional immunity strategy of host cells. Thus, pathogenic bacteria have evolved sensitive metal scavenging systems to overcome this particular host defence mechanism. The ruminant pathogen Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) displays a unique gut tropism and causes a chronic progressive intestinal inflammation. MAP possesses eight conserved lineage specific large sequence polymorphisms (LSP), which distinguish MAP from its ancestral M. avium ssp. hominissuis or other M. avium subspecies. LSP14 and LSP15 harbour many genes proposed to be involved in metal homeostasis and have been suggested to substitute for a MAP specific, impa

SUBMITTER: Eckelt E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4298942 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature