Virulence-associated fyuA/irp2 gene cluster of Yersinia enterocolitica biotype 1B carries a novel insertion sequence IS1328.

The fyuA/irp2 gene cluster, which is part of the Yersinia pestis pigmentation (pgm) locus encoding genes involved in iron uptake and virulence, is present in all pesticin-sensitive bacteria. In Y. enterocolitica biotype 1B strains (serotypes O8, O20, O21), the fyuA/irp2 gene cluster carries an insertion of a novel repetitive sequence, IS1328. It was also found in the genome of Y. enterocolitica O5 (biotype 1A) and O13 (biotype 1B), but not in pesticin-sensitive Y. pseudotuberculosis O1 and Escherichia coli Phi. The 1353-bp repetitive element has 12-bp perfect inverted terminal repeats. A single open reading frame is capable of encoding a 334-amino acid polypeptide. IS1328 DNA has high homology with the DNA sequences located downstream of the aggR gene from the enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC), to the region of the R751 plasmid flanking Tn501, to the sequence following the merR gene of S. marcescens pDU1358 plasmid, and to the sequences of K. pneumoniae plasmid pCFF04. The putative polypeptide has 36.4% identity with the transposase encoded by the Coxiella burnetii IS1111a insertion sequence. The IS1328 insertion sequence could be responsible for the deletions of the fyuA/irp2 gene cluster observed in Y. enterocolitica O8 and could represent a member of a new group of widely distributed repetitive elements.