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PMID: 2511009 Published · ppublish English Journal Article

Mosaic-like organization of IgA protease genes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae generated by horizontal genetic exchange in vivo.

The EMBO journal ·Vol. 8 ·No. 9 ·1989-09-00 ·Pages 2737-44

Halter R, Pohlner J, Meyer TF

Abstract

IgA protease is a putative virulence factor that exists in several allelic forms in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, extracellular secretion of these variant IgA proteases occurs by the same pathway involving three steps of autoproteolytic maturation from a large precursor. Two principal precursor types (H1 and H2) can be distinguished with respect to the location of autoproteolytic sites and the sizes of the mature products. By partial DNA sequence analysis, additional variations have been detected which are not unique to one particular gene; rather, otherwise unrelated iga genes often share homology, thus revealing a composite organization. In the context of other gonococcal features, this observation implies that recombination has occurred in vivo between iga genes of different strains, probably via the route of species-specific DNA transformation. This process may be of general significance for the modulation and the natural exchange of virulence properties among pathogenic Neisseriae.

MeSH Terms
Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence Cloning, Molecular Enzyme Precursors/genetics Genes, Bacterial Isoenzymes/genetics Molecular Sequence Data Multigene Family Neisseria gonorrhoeae/enzymology,genetics Peptide Hydrolases/genetics,metabolism Polymorphism, Genetic Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid Serine Endopeptidases
Chemicals
Enzyme Precursors Isoenzymes Recombinant Fusion Proteins Peptide Hydrolases Serine Endopeptidases IgA-specific serine endopeptidase
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Halter R
Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, Infektgenetik, Tübingen, FRG.
Pohlner J
Meyer T F
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Article Info
Journal
The EMBO journal
Abbr.
EMBO J
ISSN
0261-4189
Published
1989-09-00
Pages
2737-44
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
8208664
PMCID
PMC401282
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source PMC Full Text View journal details
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