Journal article
A Novel Integrative Conjugative Element Mediates Genetic Transfer from Group G Streptococcus to Other ß-Hemolytic Streptococci
MR Davies, J Shera, GH Van Domselaar, KS Sriprakash, DJ McMillan
Journal of Bacteriology | AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY | Published : 2009
DOI: 10.1128/JB.01624-08
Abstract
Lateral gene transfer is a significant contributor to the ongoing evolution of many bacterial pathogens, including ß-hemolytic streptococci. Here we provide the first characterization of a novel integrative conjugative element (ICE), ICESde3396, from Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (group G streptococcus [GGS]), a bacterium commonly found in the throat and skin of humans. ICESde3396 is 64 kb in size and encodes 66 putative open reading frames. ICESde3396 shares 38 open reading frames with a putative ICE from Strepto- coccus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]), ICESa2603. In addition to genes involves in conjugal pro- cesses, ICESde3396 also carries genes predicted to be in..
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Funding Acknowledgements
We acknowledge Thanh Tran and Sean Mitchell for technical assistance. We thank the Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, and the Department of Microbiology, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane, for the strains used in this study. We also thank Karen Taylor and Janelle Stirling for assistance with collection and curation of the QIMR GBS isolate collection. This work was carried out with the financial support of the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centre for Vaccine Technology and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia. Griffith Medical Research College is a joint program of Griffith University and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.