Examples of genetic organization around chromosomal bcr1 loci in B. anthracis Ames, B. cereus ATCC 10987, and B. cereus ATCC 14579. Green blocks represent full-length bcr1 elements, while all other blocks represent genes. (a) bcr1 locus conserved in all three strains (repeats Bc14579_1R, Banthracis_1R, and Bc10987_59R [see http://www.salmongenome.no/htdocs/Suppl_info_for_web_Okstadetal2004.html]); (b) bcr1 locus shared by B. anthracis Ames and B. cereus ATCC 10987 only (Banthracis_4F and Bc10987_64F, respectively); (c) bcr1 locus unique to B. cereus ATCC 10987 (Bc10987_28R); (d) bcr1 element (Bc10987_60F) inserted within a gene encoding a putative DNase of the TatD family (BCE0237) in B. cereus ATCC 10987. In each panel, the top strain is the reference. Additional genes in the bottom two strains that are not orthologous (as defined in Materials and Methods) to genes in the reference strain are coded in grey (orthologous in the bottom two strains) or black (not orthologous to any gene in the corresponding region of the other strains). Genes orthologous in all three strains are drawn in the same color. Right- and left-oriented arrows indicate that the gene or repeat is on the forward or reverse strand, respectively. Rulers are in base pairs.