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Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
10:39

Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: March 10, 2017

Horizontal gene transfer of "prototype" Nramp in bacteria

Etienne Richer1, Pascal Courville, Isabelle Bergevin

  • 1INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531, Bd des prairies, Laval, PQ, Canada H7V 1B7.

Journal of Molecular Evolution
|January 8, 2004
PubMed

Insights

This study reveals the complex evolution of bacterial metal transporters (MntH), suggesting eukaryotic Nramp genes may have transferred to bacteria, potentially aiding infections. These findings highlight horizontal gene transfer

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Eukaryotic Nramp proteins function as divalent metal ion transporters, crucial for nutrition and immunity.
  • Bacterial homologs, MntH, are proton-dependent transporters classified into homology groups A, B, and C, with C further divided into Cα, Cβ, and Cγ.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the functional conservation and evolutionary history of bacterial MntH transporters.
  • To explore evidence for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the dissemination of mntH genes, particularly mntH C.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of MntH protein sequences and hydropathy profiles.
  • Functional characterization by expressing bacterial MntH proteins in E. coli to assess metal transport activity.
  • Genomic analysis to identify associations of mntH genes with mobile genetic elements and tRNA genes.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial MntH B and C proteins from C. tepidum and E. faecalis, respectively, demonstrated conserved divalent metal transport function when expressed in E. coli.
  • Genomic evidence strongly suggests HGT of mntH C genes, with associations to tRNA, mobile DNA elements, and sequence similarities between eukaryotic Nramp and bacterial MntH Cα.
  • Intronless Nramp genes in invertebrates may represent a source for Nramp gene transfer to bacteria.

Conclusions:

  • Bacterial MntH transporters exhibit functional conservation across different homology groups.
  • Horizontal gene transfer has played a significant role in the evolution and distribution of bacterial mntH genes.
  • Eukaryotic Nramp genes are proposed as ancestral to bacterial MntH C proteins, potentially facilitating bacterial pathogenesis.

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