Dataset Information

Comparative genomics of the restriction-modification systems in Helicobacter pylori.

ABSTRACT: Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen with a small genome of 1.64-1.67 Mb. More than 20 putative DNA restriction-modification (R-M) systems, comprising more than 4% of the total genome, have been identified in the two completely sequenced H. pylori strains, 26695 and J99, based on sequence similarities. In this study, we have investigated the biochemical activities of 14 Type II R-M systems in H. pylori 26695. Less than 30% of the Type II R-M systems in 26695 are fully functional, similar to the results obtained from strain J99. Although nearly 90% of the R-M genes are shared by the two H. pylori strains, different sets of these R-M genes are functionally active in each strain. Interestingly, all strain-specific R-M genes are active, whereas most shared genes are inactive. This agrees with the notion that strain-specific genes have been acquired more recently through horizontal transfer from other bacteria and selected for function. Thus, they are less likely to be impaired by random mutations. Our results also show that H. pylori has extremely diversified R-M systems in different strains, and that the diversity may be maintained by constantly acquiring new R-M systems and by inactivating and deleting the old ones.

SUBMITTER: Lin LF

PROVIDER: S-EPMC30209 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Comparative genomics of the restriction-modification systems in Helicobacter pylori.

Lin L F LF Posfai J J Roberts R J RJ Kong H H

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20010213 5

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterial pathogen with a small genome of 1.64-1.67 Mb. More than 20 putative DNA restriction-modification (R-M) systems, comprising more than 4% of the total genome, have been identified in the two completely sequenced H. pylori strains, 26695 and J99, based on sequence similarities. In this study, we have investigated the biochemical activities of 14 Type II R-M systems in H. pylori 26695. Less than 30% of the Type II R-M systems in 26695 are fully functi ...[more]

PMID: 11226310

Similar Datasets

Project description:Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that is found in a wide variety of anthropogenic and natural environments. Genome sequencing technologies are rapidly becoming a powerful tool in facilitating our understanding of how genotype, classification phenotypes, and virulence phenotypes interact to predict the health risks of individual bacterial isolates. Currently, 57 closed L. monocytogenes genomes are publicly available, representing three of the four phylogenetic lineages, and they suggest that L. monocytogenes has high genomic synteny. This study contributes an additional 15 closed L. monocytogenes genomes that were used to determine the associations between the genome and methylome with host invasion magnitude. In contrast to previous findings, large chromosomal inversions and rearrangements were detected in five isolates at the chromosome terminus and within rRNA genes, including a previously undescribed inversion within rRNA-encoding regions. Each isolate's epigenome contained highly diverse methyltransferase recognition sites, even within the same serotype and methylation pattern. Eleven strains contained a single chromosomally encoded methyltransferase, one strain contained two methylation systems (one system on a plasmid), and three strains exhibited no methylation, despite the occurrence of methyltransferase genes. In three isolates a new, unknown DNA modification was observed in addition to diverse methylation patterns, accompanied by a novel methylation system. Neither chromosome rearrangement nor strain-specific patterns of epigenome modification observed within virulence genes were correlated with serotype designation, clonal complex, or in vitro infectivity. These data suggest that genome diversity is larger than previously considered in L. monocytogenes and that as more genomes are sequenced, additional structure and methylation novelty will be observed in this organism. Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of listeriosis, a disease which manifests as gastroenteritis, meningoencephalitis, and abortion. Among Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Listeria-causing the most prevalent foodborne illnesses-infection by L. monocytogenes carries the highest mortality rate. The ability of L. monocytogenes to regulate its response to various harsh environments enables its persistence and transmission. Small-scale comparisons of L. monocytogenes focusing solely on genome contents reveal a highly syntenic genome yet fail to address the observed diversity in phenotypic regulation. This study provides a large-scale comparison of 302 L. monocytogenes isolates, revealing the importance of the epigenome and restriction-modification systems as major determinants of L. monocytogenes phylogenetic grouping and subsequent phenotypic expression. Further examination of virulence genes of select outbreak strains reveals an unprecedented diversity in methylation statuses despite high degrees of genome conservation.

Project description:In this study, a whole-genome CombiMatrix Custom oligonucleotide tiling microarray with 90000 probes covering six sequenced Helicobacter pylori(H. pylori) genomes was designed and utilized for comparative genomic profiling of eight unsequenced strains isolated from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases in Heilongjiang province of China. Since significant genomic variation were found among these strains, an additional 76 H. pylori stains with different clinical outcomes isolated from various provinces of China were further tested by PCR to demonstrate this distinction. We observed several highly variable regions among strains of gastritis, gastric ulceration and gastric cancer. They are involved in genes associated with bacterial type I, type II and type III R-M system as well as in a virB gene neighboring the well studied cag pathogenic island. Previous studies have reported the diverse genetic characterization of this pathogenic island, but it is conserved in the strains tested by microarray in this study. Moreover, a number of genes involved in the type IV secretion system related to DNA horizontal transfer between H. pylori strains were identified based on the comparative analysis of the strain specific genes. These findings may provide new insights for discovering biomarkers for prediction of gastric diseases. Here we describe the design and use of a high-density oligonucleotide microarray covering six sequenced H. pylori genomes as well as several sequenced plasmids. The performance of this microarray is evaluated, and its utility is illustrated for the hybridization of genomic DNA in order to compare eight uncharacterized H. pylori strains which have not been sequenced with the six known, sequenced strains. We utilize this microarray to identify variable genomic region among H. pylori strains isolated from patients with different gastroduodenal diseases in a Chinese patient population. H. pylori isolates from 2 patients with chronic superficial gastritis, 2 patients with atrophic gastritis, 2 patients with gastric ulcer, and 2 patients with gastric cancer were studied. All eight strains were isolated from Heilongjiang province of China. A number of variable regions with high genetic diversity was identified. 26 selected genes were validated by large scale PCR in both microarray tested strains while an additional 76 strains were isolated from eight provinces.

Dataset Information

Comparative genomics of the restriction-modification systems in Helicobacter pylori.

Publications

Comparative genomics of the restriction-modification systems in Helicobacter pylori.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets