We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Population Evolution of Helicobacter pylori through Diversification in DNA Methylation and Interstrain Sequence Homogenization.
- Authors
Kojima, Kenji K.; Yoshikazu Furuta; Koji Yahara; Masaki Fukuyo; Yuh Shiwa; Shin Nishiumi; Masaru Yoshida; Takeshi Azuma; Hirofumi Yoshikawa; Ichizo Kobayashi
- Abstract
Decoding of closely related genomes is now revealing the process of population evolution. In bacteria, population divergence appears associated with a unique set of sequence-specific epigenetic DNA methylation systems, often within restriction-modification (RM) systems. Theymight define a unique gene expression pattern and limit genetic flux between lineages in population divergence. We addressed the contribution of methylation systems to population diversification in panmictic bacterial species, Helicobacter pylori, which shows an interconnected population structure through frequent mutual recombination. We analyzed complete genome sequences of 28 strains collected in Fukui, Japan. Their nucleotide sequences are closely related although fine-scale analyses revealed two subgroups likely reflecting human subpopulations. Their sequences are tightly connected by homologous recombination. Our extensive analysis of RM systems revealed an extreme variability inDNAmethyltransferases, especially in their target recognition domains. Their diversity was, however, not immediately related to the genome sequence diversity, except for very closely related strains. An interesting exception is a hybrid strain, which likely has conserved the methylation gene repertoire fromone parent but diversified in sequence by massive acquisition of fragmentary DNA sequences from the other parent. Our results demonstrate how a bacterial population can be extremely divergent in epigenetics and yet homogenized in sequence.
- Publication
Molecular Biology & Evolution, 2016, Vol 33, Issue 11, p2848
- ISSN
0737-4038
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/molbev/msw162