A novel linear plasmid mediates flagellar variation in Salmonella Typhi

PLoS Pathog. 2007 May 11;3(5):e59. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.0030059.

Abstract

Unlike the majority of Salmonella enterica serovars, Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi), the etiological agent of human typhoid, is monophasic. S. Typhi normally harbours only the phase 1 flagellin gene (fliC), which encodes the H:d antigen. However, some S. Typhi strains found in Indonesia express an additional flagellin antigen termed H:z66. Molecular analysis of H:z66+ S. Typhi revealed that the H:z66 flagellin structural gene (fljB(z66)) is encoded on a linear plasmid that we have named pBSSB1. The DNA sequence of pBSSB1 was determined to be just over 27 kbp, and was predicted to encode 33 coding sequences. To our knowledge, pBSSB1 is the first non-bacteriophage-related linear plasmid to be described in the Enterobacteriaceae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Antigens, Bacterial / metabolism
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA Primers
  • Flagella / genetics*
  • Flagella / metabolism
  • Flagellin / genetics*
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plasmids
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Salmonella typhi / genetics*
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • DNA Primers
  • Flagellin

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB108532
  • GENBANK/AM419040
  • RefSeq/NC_003198
  • RefSeq/NC_004631