Gonzalez Mark D, Lichtensteiger Carol A, Caughlan Ruth, Vimr Eric R
Laboratory of Sialobiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802, USA.
J Bacteriol. 2002 Nov;184(21):6050-5. doi: 10.1128/JB.184.21.6050-6055.2002.
Microbial virulence is known to emerge by horizontal gene transfer mechanisms. Here we describe the discovery of a novel filamentous prophage, designated CUS-1, which is integrated into the chromosomal dif homologue of the high-virulence clone Escherichia coli O18:K1:H7. An homologous chromosomal element (CUS-2) in Yersinia pestis biovar orientalis is integrated at the same relative location as CUS-1; both lysogenic E. coli and Y. pestis strains produce particles with properties expected of single-stranded DNA virions. CUS(phi) is epidemiologically correlated with the emergence of K1 strains with increased virulence and with the Y. pestis biovar responsible for the current (third) plague pandemic.
已知微生物毒力通过水平基因转移机制产生。在此,我们描述了一种新型丝状原噬菌体CUS-1的发现,它整合到高毒力克隆大肠杆菌O18:K1:H7的染色体dif同源物中。鼠疫耶尔森氏菌东方生物变种中的一个同源染色体元件(CUS-2)与CUS-1整合在相同的相对位置;溶源性大肠杆菌和鼠疫耶尔森氏菌菌株均产生具有单链DNA病毒粒子预期特性的颗粒。CUS(phi)在流行病学上与毒力增强的K1菌株的出现以及导致当前(第三次)鼠疫大流行的鼠疫耶尔森氏菌生物变种相关。