Mobile DNA elements in the gas vesicle gene cluster of the planktonic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2004 Aug 1;237(1):27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.06.011.

Abstract

Insertion sequences (IS) have been characterized in Microcystis aeruginosa gas vesicle-deficient mutants. ISMae4, a homolog of the cyanobacterial IS702, belongs to the IS5 family, subgroup ISL2. ISMae2 and ISMae3 display typical IS features and express a transposase of the IS4 and IS1 family, respectively. ISMae1 exhibits a more complex genetic structure and harbours a degenerated transposase gene distantly related to IS1 elements. Hybridizations with IS-specific DNA probes suggest that transposition of ISMae2 and ISMae3 occurred by a replicative-type mechanism. To our knowledge this is the first report showing that IS1 elements can be mobile in cyanobacteria.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Conserved Sequence
  • DNA Replication
  • DNA Transposable Elements*
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / isolation & purification
  • Gene Order
  • Genes, Bacterial*
  • Microcystis / genetics*
  • Microcystis / metabolism
  • Microcystis / ultrastructure
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multigene Family
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Transposases / chemistry
  • Transposases / genetics
  • Transposases / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Proteins
  • gas vesicle protein
  • Transposases

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AJ577137
  • GENBANK/AJ577138
  • GENBANK/AJ577139
  • GENBANK/AJ577140
  • GENBANK/AJ697886