Uptake signal sequence
Uptake signal sequence (USS) are short DNA sequences preferentially taken up by competent bacteria belonging to the Pasteurellacea family (e.g., Haemophilus influenzae). Similar sequences, called DNA uptake sequence (DUS), are found in species belonging to the Neisseriaceae family (including Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae).
Neisseria meningitides
Genetic transformation is the process by which a recipient bacterial cell takes up DNA from a neighboring cell and integrates this DNA into the recipient’s genome by recombination. In N. meningitidis, DNA transformation requires the presence of short DUS (9-10 mers residing in coding regions) of the donor DNA. Specific recognition of DUSs is mediated by a type IV pilin.[1] Davidsen et al.[2] reported that in N. meningitides DUSs occur at a significantly higher density in genes involved in DNA repair and recombination (as well as in restriction-modification and replication) than in other annotated gene groups. These authors proposed that the over-representation of DUS in DNA repair and recombination genes may reflect the benefit of maintaining the integrity of the DNA repair and recombination machinery by preferentially taking up genome maintenance genes that could replace their damaged counterparts in the recipient cell’s genome. Uptake of such genes could provide a mechanism for facilitating recovery from DNA damage after genotoxic stress.
References
- ↑ Cehovin A, Simpson PJ, McDowell MA, Brown DR, Noschese R, Pallett M, Brady J, Baldwin GS, Lea SM, Matthews SJ, Pelicic V (2013). "Specific DNA recognition mediated by a type IV pilin". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110 (8): 3065–70. doi:10.1073/pnas.1218832110. PMC 3581936. PMID 23386723.
- ↑ Davidsen T, Rødland EA, Lagesen K, Seeberg E, Rognes T, Tønjum T (2004). "Biased distribution of DNA uptake sequences towards genome maintenance genes". Nucleic Acids Res. 32 (3): 1050–8. doi:10.1093/nar/gkh255. PMC 373393. PMID 14960717.
External links
- Bakkali, M.; Chen, T.-Y.; Lee, H. C.; Redfield, R. J. (2004). "Evolutionary stability of DNA uptake signal sequences in the Pasteurellaceae". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101 (13): 4513–4518. doi:10.1073/pnas.0306366101. PMC 384778. PMID 15070749.
- Bakkali, Mohammed (2007). Fairhead, Cecile, ed. "Genome Dynamics of Short Oligonucleotides: The Example of Bacterial DNA Uptake Enhancing Sequences". PLoS ONE 2 (8): e741. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000741. PMC 1939737. PMID 17710141.
