A putatively phase variable gene (dca) required for natural competence in Neisseria gonorrhoeae but not Neisseria meningitidis is located within the division cell wall (dcw) gene cluster.
A putatively phase variable gene (dca) required for natural competence in Neisseria gonorrhoeae but not Neisseria meningitidis is located within the division cell wall (dcw) gene cluster.
复制标题
淋病奈瑟菌（而非脑膜炎奈瑟菌）自然能力所需的推定相变基因（dca）位于分裂细胞壁（dcw）基因簇内。
DOI：
10.1128/jb.183.4.1233-1241.2001
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发表时间：
2001
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Shafer,WM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Snyder,LA;Saunders,NJ;Shafer,WM
A cluster of 18 open reading frames (ORFs), 15 of which are homologous to genes involved in division and cell wall synthesis, has been identified inNeisseria gonorrhoeaeandNeisseria meningitidis. The three additional ORFs, internal to thedcwcluster, are not homologous todcw-related genes present in other bacterial species. Analysis of theN. meningitidisstrain MC58 genome for foreign DNA suggests that these additional ORFs have not been acquired by recent horizontal exchange, indicating that they are a long-standing, integral part of the neisserialdcwgene cluster. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis of RNA extracted fromN. gonorrhoeaestrain FA19 confirmed that all three ORFs are transcribed in gonococci. One of these ORFs (dca, for division cluster competence associated), located betweenmurEandmurF, was studied in detail and found to be essential for competence in the gonococcal but not in the meningococcal strains tested. Computer analysis predicts thatdcaencodes an inner membrane protein similar to hypothetical proteins produced by other gram-negative bacteria. In some meningococcal strainsdcais prematurely terminated following a homopolymeric tract of G's, the length of which differs between isolates ofN. meningitidis, suggesting thatdcais phase variable in this species. A deletion and insertional mutation was made in thedcagene ofN. gonorrhoeaestrain FA19 andN. meningitidisstrain NMB. This mutation abrogated the ability of the gonococci to be transformed with chromosomal DNA. Thus, we conclude that thedca-encoded gene product is an essential competence factor for gonococci.
