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Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.

BACKGROUND: Tandem repeats contained within coding regions can mediate phase variation when the repeated units change the reading frame of the coding sequence in a copy number dependent manner. Coding tandem repeats are those which do not alter the reading frame with copy number, and the changes in...

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Autores principales: Jordan, Philip, Snyder, Lori AS, Saunders, Nigel J
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2003
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC305346/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14611665
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-3-23
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author Jordan, Philip
Snyder, Lori AS
Saunders, Nigel J
author_facet Jordan, Philip
Snyder, Lori AS
Saunders, Nigel J
author_sort Jordan, Philip
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Tandem repeats contained within coding regions can mediate phase variation when the repeated units change the reading frame of the coding sequence in a copy number dependent manner. Coding tandem repeats are those which do not alter the reading frame with copy number, and the changes in copy number of these repeats may then potentially alter the function or antigenicity of the protein encoded. Three complete neisserial genomes were analyzed and compared to identify coding tandem repeats where the number of copies of the repeat will have some structural consequence for the protein. This is the first study to address coding tandem repeats that may affect protein structures using comparative genomics, combined with a population survey to investigate which show interstrain variability. RESULTS: A total of 28 genes were identified. Of these, 22 contain coding tandem repeats that vary in copy number between the three sequenced strains, three strain specific genes were included for investigation on the basis of having >90% identity between repeated units, and three genes with repeated elements of >250 bp were included although no length variations were seen in the genomes. Amplification, and sequencing of repeats showing altered copy number, of these 28 coding tandem repeat containing regions, from a set of largely unrelated strains, revealed further repeat length variation in several cases. CONCLUSION: Eighteen genes were identified which have variation in repeat copy number between strains of the same species, twelve of which show greater diversity in repeat copy number than is present in the sequenced genomes. In some cases, this may reflect a mechanism for the generation of antigenic variation, as previously described in other species. However, some of the genes identified encode proteins with cytoplasmic functions, including sugar metabolism, DNA repair, and protein production, in which repeat length variation may have other functions. Coding tandem repeats appear to represent a largely unexplored mechanism of generating diversity in the Neisseria spp.
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spelling pubmed-3053462004-01-01 Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp. Jordan, Philip Snyder, Lori AS Saunders, Nigel J BMC Microbiol Research Article BACKGROUND: Tandem repeats contained within coding regions can mediate phase variation when the repeated units change the reading frame of the coding sequence in a copy number dependent manner. Coding tandem repeats are those which do not alter the reading frame with copy number, and the changes in copy number of these repeats may then potentially alter the function or antigenicity of the protein encoded. Three complete neisserial genomes were analyzed and compared to identify coding tandem repeats where the number of copies of the repeat will have some structural consequence for the protein. This is the first study to address coding tandem repeats that may affect protein structures using comparative genomics, combined with a population survey to investigate which show interstrain variability. RESULTS: A total of 28 genes were identified. Of these, 22 contain coding tandem repeats that vary in copy number between the three sequenced strains, three strain specific genes were included for investigation on the basis of having >90% identity between repeated units, and three genes with repeated elements of >250 bp were included although no length variations were seen in the genomes. Amplification, and sequencing of repeats showing altered copy number, of these 28 coding tandem repeat containing regions, from a set of largely unrelated strains, revealed further repeat length variation in several cases. CONCLUSION: Eighteen genes were identified which have variation in repeat copy number between strains of the same species, twelve of which show greater diversity in repeat copy number than is present in the sequenced genomes. In some cases, this may reflect a mechanism for the generation of antigenic variation, as previously described in other species. However, some of the genes identified encode proteins with cytoplasmic functions, including sugar metabolism, DNA repair, and protein production, in which repeat length variation may have other functions. Coding tandem repeats appear to represent a largely unexplored mechanism of generating diversity in the Neisseria spp. BioMed Central 2003-11-12 /pmc/articles/PMC305346/ /pubmed/14611665 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-3-23 Text en Copyright © 2003 Jordan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the article's original URL.
spellingShingle Research Article
Jordan, Philip
Snyder, Lori AS
Saunders, Nigel J
Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title_full Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title_fullStr Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title_full_unstemmed Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title_short Diversity in coding tandem repeats in related Neisseria spp.
title_sort diversity in coding tandem repeats in related neisseria spp.
topic Research Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC305346/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14611665
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2180-3-23
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