Skip to main content
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1993 Mar;61(3):816–822. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.3.816-822.1993

Possible origin of sequence divergence in the P1 cytadhesin gene of Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

C J Su 1, S F Dallo 1, A Chavoya 1, J B Baseman 1
PMCID: PMC302806  PMID: 8432602

Abstract

Specific regions of the P1 adhesin structural gene of Mycoplasma pneumoniae hybridize to various parts of the mycoplasma genome, indicating their multiple-copy nature. In addition, restriction fragment length polymorphisms and sequence divergence have been observed in the P1 gene, permitting the classification of clinical isolates of M. pneumoniae into two groups, I and II. These data suggest that the observed P1 gene diversity may be explained by homologous recombination between similar but not identical multicopy P1-related sequences and the P1 structural gene. We used oligonucleotide probes specific to the diverged regions of the group I and group II P1 structural genes to clone and sequence multicopy P1-related DNA segments. We detected sequences in group I M. pneumoniae isolates that were homologous not only to the group I P1 structural gene but also to the diverged regions of the group II P1 structural gene. Likewise, sequences in group II clinical isolates that were homologous both to the group II P1 structural gene and the diverged regions of the group I P1 structural gene were detected.

Full text

PDF
817

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barbour A. G. Antigenic variation of a relapsing fever Borrelia species. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1990;44:155–171. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.44.100190.001103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baseman J. B., Cole R. M., Krause D. C., Leith D. K. Molecular basis for cytadsorption of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Bacteriol. 1982 Sep;151(3):1514–1522. doi: 10.1128/jb.151.3.1514-1522.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CHANOCK R. M., HAYFLICK L., BARILE M. F. Growth on artificial medium of an agent associated with atypical pneumonia and its identification as a PPLO. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1962 Jan 15;48:41–49. doi: 10.1073/pnas.48.1.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Colman S. D., Hu P. C., Bott K. F. Prevalence of novel repeat sequences in and around the P1 operon in the genome of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Gene. 1990 Mar 1;87(1):91–96. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(90)90498-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dallo S. F., Horton J. R., Su C. J., Baseman J. B. Restriction fragment length polymorphism in the cytadhesin P1 gene of human clinical isolates of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1990 Jun;58(6):2017–2020. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.6.2017-2020.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dallo S. F., Su C. J., Horton J. R., Baseman J. B. Identification of P1 gene domain containing epitope(s) mediating Mycoplasma pneumoniae cytoadherence. J Exp Med. 1988 Feb 1;167(2):718–723. doi: 10.1084/jem.167.2.718. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Feldner J., Göbel U., Bredt W. Mycoplasma pneumoniae adhesin localized to tip structure by monoclonal antibody. Nature. 1982 Aug 19;298(5876):765–767. doi: 10.1038/298765a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hu P. C., Cole R. M., Huang Y. S., Graham J. A., Gardner D. E., Collier A. M., Clyde W. A., Jr Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection: role of a surface protein in the attachment organelle. Science. 1982 Apr 16;216(4543):313–315. doi: 10.1126/science.6801766. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hu W. S., Wang R. Y., Liou R. S., Shih J. W., Lo S. C. Identification of an insertion-sequence-like genetic element in the newly recognized human pathogen Mycoplasma incognitus. Gene. 1990 Sep 1;93(1):67–72. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(90)90137-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Inamine J. M., Denny T. P., Loechel S., Schaper U., Huang C. H., Bott K. F., Hu P. C. Nucleotide sequence of the P1 attachment-protein gene of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Gene. 1988 Apr 29;64(2):217–229. doi: 10.1016/0378-1119(88)90337-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Ish-Horowicz D., Burke J. F. Rapid and efficient cosmid cloning. Nucleic Acids Res. 1981 Jul 10;9(13):2989–2998. doi: 10.1093/nar/9.13.2989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jacobs E., Pilatschek A., Gerstenecker B., Oberle K., Bredt W. Immunodominant epitopes of the adhesin of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Jun;28(6):1194–1197. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.6.1194-1197.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Krause D. C., Leith D. K., Wilson R. M., Baseman J. B. Identification of Mycoplasma pneumoniae proteins associated with hemadsorption and virulence. Infect Immun. 1982 Mar;35(3):809–817. doi: 10.1128/iai.35.3.809-817.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Leith D. K., Trevino L. B., Tully J. G., Senterfit L. B., Baseman J. B. Host discrimination of Mycoplasma pneumoniae proteinaceous immunogens. J Exp Med. 1983 Feb 1;157(2):502–514. doi: 10.1084/jem.157.2.502. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nur I., LeBlanc D. J., Tully J. G. Short, interspersed, and repetitive DNA sequences in Spiroplasma species. Plasmid. 1987 Mar;17(2):110–116. doi: 10.1016/0147-619x(87)90017-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pyle L. E., Corcoran L. N., Cocks B. G., Bergemann A. D., Whitley J. C., Finch L. R. Pulsed-field electrophoresis indicates larger-than-expected sizes for mycoplasma genomes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Jul 11;16(13):6015–6025. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.13.6015. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Razin S. Molecular biology and genetics of mycoplasmas (Mollicutes). Microbiol Rev. 1985 Dec;49(4):419–455. doi: 10.1128/mr.49.4.419-455.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sanger F., Nicklen S., Coulson A. R. DNA sequencing with chain-terminating inhibitors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Dec;74(12):5463–5467. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.12.5463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Segal E., Hagblom P., Seifert H. S., So M. Antigenic variation of gonococcal pilus involves assembly of separated silent gene segments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Apr;83(7):2177–2181. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.7.2177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Smith N. H., Beltran P., Selander R. K. Recombination of Salmonella phase 1 flagellin genes generates new serovars. J Bacteriol. 1990 May;172(5):2209–2216. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.5.2209-2216.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Southern E. M. Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol. 1975 Nov 5;98(3):503–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(75)80083-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stern A., Brown M., Nickel P., Meyer T. F. Opacity genes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: control of phase and antigenic variation. Cell. 1986 Oct 10;47(1):61–71. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(86)90366-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Su C. J., Baseman J. B. Genome size of Mycoplasma genitalium. J Bacteriol. 1990 Aug;172(8):4705–4707. doi: 10.1128/jb.172.8.4705-4707.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Su C. J., Chavoya A., Baseman J. B. Regions of Mycoplasma pneumoniae cytadhesin P1 structural gene exist as multiple copies. Infect Immun. 1988 Dec;56(12):3157–3161. doi: 10.1128/iai.56.12.3157-3161.1988. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Su C. J., Chavoya A., Baseman J. B. Spontaneous mutation results in loss of the cytadhesin (P1) of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1989 Oct;57(10):3237–3239. doi: 10.1128/iai.57.10.3237-3239.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Su C. J., Chavoya A., Dallo S. F., Baseman J. B. Sequence divergency of the cytadhesin gene of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1990 Aug;58(8):2669–2674. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.8.2669-2674.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Su C. J., Dallo S. F., Baseman J. B. Molecular distinctions among clinical isolates of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Jul;28(7):1538–1540. doi: 10.1128/jcm.28.7.1538-1540.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Su C. J., Tryon V. V., Baseman J. B. Cloning and sequence analysis of cytadhesin P1 gene from Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infect Immun. 1987 Dec;55(12):3023–3029. doi: 10.1128/iai.55.12.3023-3029.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Taylor M. A., Ferrell R. V., Wise K. S., McIntosh M. A. Reiterated DNA sequences defining genomic diversity within the species Mycoplasma hyorhinis. Mol Microbiol. 1988 Sep;2(5):665–672. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1988.tb00075.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Tully J. G., Rose D. L., Whitcomb R. F., Wenzel R. P. Enhanced isolation of Mycoplasma pneumoniae from throat washings with a newly-modified culture medium. J Infect Dis. 1979 Apr;139(4):478–482. doi: 10.1093/infdis/139.4.478. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wenzel R., Herrmann R. Repetitive DNA sequences in Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Nucleic Acids Res. 1988 Sep 12;16(17):8337–8350. doi: 10.1093/nar/16.17.8337. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Woese C. R., Maniloff J., Zablen L. B. Phylogenetic analysis of the mycoplasmas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jan;77(1):494–498. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.1.494. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wood W. I., Gitschier J., Lasky L. A., Lawn R. M. Base composition-independent hybridization in tetramethylammonium chloride: a method for oligonucleotide screening of highly complex gene libraries. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1985 Mar;82(6):1585–1588. doi: 10.1073/pnas.82.6.1585. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES