Complete DNA sequence of the virulence plasmid in Rhodococcus equi

测定了马红球菌ATCC 33701毒力质粒pREAT 701的全序列。该质粒含80，608 pb，GC含量为65%。序列分析表明，该毒力质粒编码67个开放阅读框（ORF），占全序列的73.5%。在67个ORF中，37个ORF与当前数据库中的任何已知蛋白质都没有显著的同源性，其余30个ORF与先前描述的假设蛋白质显示出显著的同源性; 11个未知，19个是功能蛋白质。我们以前曾报道，pREAT 701携带毒力相关的15至17 kDa抗原（VapA）基因。在这19个ORF中，有6个ORF编码的蛋白质与VapA具有显著的相似性，位于第1至21，000位之间。GC含量为59%，低于21,001 - 80608位DNA序列的其余部分（68%）和R.马（71%）。插入元件分散在整个质粒，表明镶嵌性质的毒力质粒，并建议已获得毒力基因的进化事件。

The complete nucleotide sequence of virulence plasmid pREAT701 from Rhodococcus equi ATCC 33701 has determined. This plasmid contained 80,608pb with 65% GC content. Computer analysis of sequence data revealed that the virulence plasmid encodes 67 open reading frames (ORFs), which occupied 73.5% of the complete sequence. Of the 67 ORFs, 37 ORFs had no significant homology to any known proteins in the current database and the remaining 30 showed significant homologies with previously described hypothetical proteins; 11 are unknown and 19 are functional proteins. We have previously reported that pREAT701 carries a virulence-associated 15- to 17-kDa antigen (VapA) gene. Of the 19 ORFs, 6 ORFs encode proteins that showed significant similarities to VapA, which located between positions 1 to 21,000. GC content is 59%, which is lower than those of the rest of the DNA sequence at positions 21,001 to 80608 (68%) and the chromosomal DNA of R. equi (71%). Insertion elements were scattered throughout the plasmid, indicating the mosaic nature of the virulence plasmid and suggesting evolutionary events by which virulence genes have been obtained.