Pathogenicity islands: the tip of the iceberg. |
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Authors: | U Hentschel J Hacker |
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Institution: | Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Universit?t Würzburg, R?ntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg, Germany. |
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Abstract: | Pathogenicity islands represent distinct genetic elements encoding virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria. Pathogenicity islands belong to the class of genomic islands, which are common genetic elements sharing a set of unifying features. Genomic islands have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer. In recent years many different genomic islands have been discovered in a variety of pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic bacteria. Because they promote genetic variability, genomic islands play an important role in microbial evolution. |
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