Journal article
Do Salmonella carry spare tyres?
Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.), Vol.16(4), pp.142-148
2008
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.01.009
PMID: 18375124
Abstract
Salmonellae are enterobacteria that have the unique ability to change their flagellar composition by switching expression among two loci that encode the major flagellin protein. This property is not available to all
Salmonella, but is species, subspecies and serotype specific. Curiously, the subsequent loss of the second locus in some lineages of
Salmonella has apparently been tolerated and, indeed, has led to considerable success for some lineages. We discuss here an evolutionary model for maintenance of this unique function and the possible evolutionary advantages of loss or preservation of this mechanism. We hypothesize that the second flagellin locus is a genetic ‘spare tyre’ used in particular environmental circumstances.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Do Salmonella carry spare tyres?
- Creators
- John R McQuiston - Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USAPatricia I Fields - Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, 30333, USARobert V Tauxe - Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USAJohn M Logsdon - Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Trends in microbiology (Regular ed.), Vol.16(4), pp.142-148
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.tim.2008.01.009
- PMID
- 18375124
- ISSN
- 0966-842X
- eISSN
- 1878-4380
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2008
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984217530202771
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