The pgm locus and pigmentation phenotype in Yersinia pestis

The pigmentation (pgm) locus is a large unstable area of the Yersinia pestis chromosome composed of a segment of iron acquisition (HPI) linked to a pigmentation segment. In this work we examined the mobility of HPI and the pigmentation segment in three Y. pestis isolates using successive subcultures on Congo red agar (CRA) plates. Strain P. CE 882 was shown to be highly stable while strains P. Exu 340 and P. Peru 375 dissociated into several phenotypes, PCR analysis showing evidence of changes in the pgm locus of the derived cultures. Strains P. Exu 340 and P. Peru 375 produced previously unreported cultures positive for the pesticin/yersiniabactin outer membrane receptor (psn+) but negative for the iron-regulated protein (irp2-), suggesting the occurrence of rearrangements in this chromosomal region and either a sequential loss or the loss of separated segments. These results provide evidence that besides deletion en bloc, specific rearrangements are also involved in the deletion events for that locus.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Leal-Balbino,Tereza Cristina, Leal,Nilma Cintra, Nascimento,Mirna Gisele Medeiros do, Oliveira,Maria Betânia Melo de, Balbino,Valdir de Queiroz, Almeida,Alzira Maria Paiva de
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Brasileira de Genética 2006
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572006000100024
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!