The transposon-like correia elements encode numerous strong promoters and provide a potential new mechanism for phase variation in the meningococcus

Siddique, Azeem, Buisine, Nicolas and Chalmers, Ronald (2011) The transposon-like correia elements encode numerous strong promoters and provide a potential new mechanism for phase variation in the meningococcus. PLoS Genetics, 7 (1). 13/1-13/13. ISSN 1553-7390

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Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis is the primary causative agent of bacterial meningitis. The genome is rich in repetitive DNA and almost 2% is occupied by a diminutive transposon called the Correia element. Here we report a bioinformatic analysis defining eight subtypes of the element with four distinct types of ends. Transcriptional analysis, using PCR and a lacZ reporter system, revealed that two ends in particular encode strong promoters. The activity of the strongest promoter is dictated by a recurrent polymorphism (Y128) at the right end of the element. We highlight examples of elements that appear to drive transcription of adjacent genes and others that may express small non-coding RNAs. Pair-wise comparisons between three meningococcal genomes revealed that no more than two-thirds of Correia elements maintain their subtype at any particular locus. This is due to recombinational class switching between elements in a single strain. Upon switching subtype, a new allele is available to spread through the population by natural transformation. This process may represent a hitherto unrecognized mechanism for phase variation in the meningococcus. We conclude that the strain-to-strain variability of the Correia elements, and the large number of strong promoters encoded by them, allows for potentially widespread effects within the population as a whole. By defining the strength of the promoters encoded by the eight subtypes of Correia ends, we provide a resource that allows the transcriptional effects of a particular subtype at a given locus to be predicted.

Item Type: Article
RIS ID: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/707132
Schools/Departments: University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Life Sciences > School of Biomedical Sciences
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1001277
Depositing User: Davies, Mrs Sarah
Date Deposited: 23 Apr 2014 10:12
Last Modified: 04 May 2020 16:30
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/2471

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