Prentice M B, James K D, Parkhill J, Baker S G, Stevens K, Simmonds M N, Mungall K L, Churcher C, Oyston P C, Titball R W, Wren B W, Wain J, Pickard D, Hien T T, Farrar J J, Dougan G
Department of Medical Microbiology, St. Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom.
J Bacteriol. 2001 Apr;183(8):2586-94. doi: 10.1128/JB.183.8.2586-2594.2001.
Population genetic studies suggest that Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is a clonal pathogen that has recently emerged from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Plasmid acquisition is likely to have been a key element in this evolutionary leap from an enteric to a flea-transmitted systemic pathogen. However, the origin of Y. pestis-specific plasmids remains obscure. We demonstrate specific plasmid rearrangements in different Y. pestis strains which distinguish Y. pestis bv. Orientalis strains from other biovars. We also present evidence for plasmid-associated DNA exchange between Y. pestis and the exclusively human pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi.
群体遗传学研究表明，鼠疫杆菌作为鼠疫的病原体，是一种克隆病原体，最近从假结核耶尔森氏菌进化而来。获得质粒很可能是从肠道病原体向通过跳蚤传播的全身性病原体进化的关键因素。然而，鼠疫杆菌特异性质粒的起源仍不清楚。我们在不同的鼠疫杆菌菌株中发现了特定的质粒重排，这些重排可将东方鼠疫杆菌菌株与其他生物变种区分开来。我们还提供了证据，证明鼠疫杆菌与仅感染人类的病原体伤寒沙门氏菌之间存在质粒相关的DNA交换。
