Fallacy of the Unique Genome: Sequence Diversity within Single Helicobacter pylori Strains.

ABSTRACT: Many bacterial genomes are highly variable but nonetheless are typically published as a single assembled genome. Experiments tracking bacterial genome evolution have not looked at the variation present at a given point in time. Here, we analyzed the mouse-passaged Helicobacter pylori strain SS1 and its parent PMSS1 to assess intra- and intergenomic variability. Using high sequence coverage depth and experimental validation, we detected extensive genome plasticity within these H. pylori isolates, including movement of the transposable element IS607, large and small inversions, multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms, and variation in cagA copy number. The cagA gene was found as 1 to 4 tandem copies located off the cag island in both SS1 and PMSS1;

SUBMITTER: Draper JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5358919 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature