Analysis of the Salmonella fim gene cluster: Identification of a new gene (fimI) encoding a fimbrin-like protein and located downstream from the fimA gene |
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Authors: | Gian Maria Rossolini Patrizia Muscas Alessandra Chiesurin Giuseppe Satta |
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Affiliation: | Dipartimento di Biologia Molecolare, Sezione di Microbiologia, Universitàdi Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy; Istituto di Microbiologia, UniversitàCattolica 'S. Cuore', 00168 Rome, Italy |
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Abstract: | Abstract The fimA gene coding for the major component (fimbrin) of type 1 fimbriae was mapped within the Salmonella typhi fim gene cluster, and its nucleotide sequence determined. The deduced amino acid sequence of S. typhi fimbrin is highly homologous to that of S. typhimurium type 1 fimbrin and showed similarity to that of other enterobacterial type 1 fimbrins. Downstream of fimA , an open reading frame was found, named fimI , able to encode a fimbrin-like protein. The fimI product could represent the counterpart, in type 1 fimbriae, of the PapH protein involved in cell anchoring and length modulation of Escherichia coli Pap pili. This genetic organization was found to be common to other Salmonella serovars, including S. typhimurium and S. choleraesuis . |
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Keywords: | Salmonella typhi Type 1 fimbriae fim genes fimA gene fimI gene |
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