Phase variation through slippage-like mechanisms involving homopolymeric tracts depends in part on the absence of Dam-methylase in several pathogenic isolates of Neisseria meningitidis. In Dam-defective strains drg (dam-replacing gene), flanked by pseudo-transposable small repeated elements (SREs), replaced dam. We demonstrate that drg encodes a restriction endonuclease (NmeBII) that cleaves 5'-GmeATC-3'. drg is also present in 50% of Neisseria lactamica strains, but in most of them it is inactive because of the absence of an SRE-providing promoter. This is associated with the presence of GATmeC, suggesting an alternative restriction-modification system (RM) specific for 5'-GATC-3', similar to Sau3AI-RM of Staphylococcus aureus 3A, Lactococcus lactis KR2 and Listeria monocytogenes.

Evolution and function of the neisserial dam-replacing gene / Cantalupo, G; Bucci, C; Salvatore, Paola; Pagliarulo, C; Roberti, V; Lavitola, Alfredo; Bruni, CARMELO BRUNO; Alifano, P.. - In: FEBS LETTERS. - ISSN 0014-5793. - 495:(2001), pp. 178-183. [10.1016/S0014-5793(01)02388-2]

Evolution and function of the neisserial dam-replacing gene

SALVATORE, PAOLA;LAVITOLA, ALFREDO;BRUNI, CARMELO BRUNO;
2001

Abstract

Phase variation through slippage-like mechanisms involving homopolymeric tracts depends in part on the absence of Dam-methylase in several pathogenic isolates of Neisseria meningitidis. In Dam-defective strains drg (dam-replacing gene), flanked by pseudo-transposable small repeated elements (SREs), replaced dam. We demonstrate that drg encodes a restriction endonuclease (NmeBII) that cleaves 5'-GmeATC-3'. drg is also present in 50% of Neisseria lactamica strains, but in most of them it is inactive because of the absence of an SRE-providing promoter. This is associated with the presence of GATmeC, suggesting an alternative restriction-modification system (RM) specific for 5'-GATC-3', similar to Sau3AI-RM of Staphylococcus aureus 3A, Lactococcus lactis KR2 and Listeria monocytogenes.
2001
Evolution and function of the neisserial dam-replacing gene / Cantalupo, G; Bucci, C; Salvatore, Paola; Pagliarulo, C; Roberti, V; Lavitola, Alfredo; Bruni, CARMELO BRUNO; Alifano, P.. - In: FEBS LETTERS. - ISSN 0014-5793. - 495:(2001), pp. 178-183. [10.1016/S0014-5793(01)02388-2]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/131540
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