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Genomic characterization of Helicobacter hepaticus: ordered cosmid library and comparative sequence analysis
1Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 16-873, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. zge@mit.edu
FEMS Microbiology Letters
|October 30, 2001
Summary
Helicobacter hepaticus is closely related to Helicobacter pylori, sharing many genes but differing in genome organization. This suggests adaptation to different environments.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Comparative genomics
Background:
- Helicobacter hepaticus is a significant pathogen in mice, causing liver tumors and gastrointestinal disease.
- Understanding its genome provides insights into its pathogenicity and evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the genome of Helicobacter hepaticus and compare it with related species.
- To identify unique genes and assess evolutionary relationships.
Main Methods:
- Genomic library construction and analysis using cosmid clones.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, hybridization techniques, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.
- Bioinformatic analysis of predicted coding regions and comparison with public databases.
Main Results:
- Approximately 1 Mb of the H. hepaticus genome was assembled into four contigs.
- 56 coding regions were predicted, with 51 having known orthologs and five appearing unique.
- H. hepaticus shares more genes with H. pylori than with Campylobacter jejuni, but gene organization and GC content differ significantly.
Conclusions:
- H. hepaticus is evolutionarily closer to H. pylori than to C. jejuni.
- Significant genomic differences exist between H. hepaticus and H. pylori, likely due to adaptation to distinct ecological niches.
- Comparative genomic analysis reveals insights into the evolution and pathogenicity of Helicobacter species.