Journal article
Molecular population genetic evidence of horizontal spread of two alleles of the pyrogenic exotoxin C gene (speC) among pathogenic clones of Streptococcus pyogenes
Infection and immunity, Vol.60(9), pp.3513-3517
09/1992
DOI: 10.1128/IAI.60.9.3513-3517.1992
PMCID: PMC257353
PMID: 1500157
Abstract
It has recently been demonstrated that the bacteriophage-borne gene (speC) encoding pyrogenic exotoxin C is harbored by phylogenetic lineages representing virtually the entire breadth of genomic differentiation present in the species Streptococcus pyogenes (J. M. Musser, A. R. Hauser, M. H. Kim, P. M. Schlievert, K. Nelson, and R. K. Selander, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:2668-2672, 1991). To determine whether the speC genes occurring in association with divergent chromosomal genotypes (clones) are identical or represent a group of allelic variants, we sequenced speC from 23 S. pyogenes strains representing 15 clones identified by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. Two alleles of speC are present in natural populations, and each allele occurs in clones that are well differentiated in overall chromosomal character; in one case, isolates of a single clone had different speC alleles. We interpret these patterns of toxin allele-clone distribution as evidence of occasional episodes of speC horizontal dissemination, presumably by bacteriophage-mediated gene transfer and recombination.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Molecular population genetic evidence of horizontal spread of two alleles of the pyrogenic exotoxin C gene (speC) among pathogenic clones of Streptococcus pyogenes
- Creators
- Vivek Kapur - Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030Kimberlyn Nelson - Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030Patrick M Schlievert - Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030Robert K Selander - Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030James M Musser - Department of Pathology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Infection and immunity, Vol.60(9), pp.3513-3517
- DOI
- 10.1128/IAI.60.9.3513-3517.1992
- PMID
- 1500157
- PMCID
- PMC257353
- ISSN
- 0019-9567
- eISSN
- 1098-5522
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/1992
- Academic Unit
- Microbiology and Immunology; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984001115802771
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