The size and position of heterologous insertions in a silent locus differentially affect pilin recombination in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Molecular Microbiology
B Howell-AdamsH Steven Seifert

Abstract

Gonococcal pilus antigenic and phase variation result from unidirectional, RecA-dependent recombination of DNA sequences from a silent pilin copy (pilS) into the expressed pilin gene (pilE). To develop a quantitative assay for pilin gene recombination that is independent of phase variation, a promoterless cat gene was inserted into pilS, and recombination of "cat into pilE was detected by selection of chloramphenicol-resistant (CmR) variants expressing "cat from the pilin promoter. Although RecA-dependent CmR variants occurred, none were generated by the simple transfer of "cat into pilE. Instead, each CmR variant contained a new pilin locus that was a hybrid of sequences from the pilE and the pilS1::cat loci in addition to the two starting loci. Therefore, this system could not be used to quantify antigenic variation. However, combined studies of these hybrid loci and of recombination products generated during additional pilS mutational analyses demonstrated that both the size and position of an insertion in pilS differentially affect pilin recombination. Also, the hybrid loci appear to be intermediates of antigenic variation. This enabled the creation of molecular models for the recombination reactions that result in pilin an...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 6, 2000·Molecular Microbiology·C D Serkin, H S Seifert
Jul 20, 2004·Clinical Microbiology Reviews·Marjan W van der Woude, Andreas J Bäumler
Jan 20, 2004·Journal of Bacteriology·Timothy MooreRobert G Lloyd
Apr 5, 2005·Journal of Bacteriology·Kimberly A Kline, H Steven Seifert
Jan 4, 2012·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Cornelis VinkH Steven Seifert
Sep 25, 2014·Annual Review of Genetics·Ella Rotman, H Steven Seifert
Jun 9, 2016·Journal of Bacteriology·Mark T AndersonH Steven Seifert
Mar 7, 2014·MBio·Mark T AndersonH Steven Seifert
Sep 28, 1999·Journal of Bacteriology·B Howell-Adams, H S Seifert
Jan 25, 2000·Microbial Pathogenesis·E L AhoS M McGillivray
Mar 22, 2016·Microbiology Spectrum·Guy H PalmerH Steven Seifert
Jun 25, 2015·Microbiology Spectrum·Kyle P Obergfell, H Steven Seifert

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