The Genome of the Obligately Intracellular Bacterium Ehrlichia canis Reveals Themes of Complex Membrane Structure and Immune Evasion Strategies

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Journal of Bacteriology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.01837-05· OSTI ID:978222

Mavromatis, K ^[1]; Doyle, C Kuyler ^[2]; Lykidis, A ^[1]; Ivanova, N ^[1]; Francino, M P ^[1]; Chain, Patrick S ^[3]; Shin, M ^[1]; Malfatti, Stephanie ^[4]; Larimer, Frank W ^[3]; Copeland, A ^[1]; Detter, J C ^[1]; Land, Miriam L ^[3]; Richardson, P M ^[1]; Yu, X J ^[2]; Walker, D H ^[2]; McBride, J W ^[2]; Kyripides, N C ^[1]

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1. U.S. Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute
2. Center for Biodenfense and Emerging Infectious Diseases
3. ORNL
4. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)

Ehrlichia canis, a small obligately intracellular, tick-transmitted, gram-negative, {alpha}-proteobacterium, is the primary etiologic agent of globally distributed canine monocytic ehrlichiosis. Complete genome sequencing revealed that the E. canis genome consists of a single circular chromosome of 1,315,030 bp predicted to encode 925 proteins, 40 stable RNA species, 17 putative pseudogenes, and a substantial proportion of noncoding sequence (27%). Interesting genome features include a large set of proteins with transmembrane helices and/or signal sequences and a unique serine-threonine bias associated with the potential for O glycosylation that was prominent in proteins associated with pathogen-host interactions. Furthermore, two paralogous protein families associated with immune evasion were identified, one of which contains poly(G-C) tracts, suggesting that they may play a role in phase variation and facilitation of persistent infections. Genes associated with pathogen-host interactions were identified, including a small group encoding proteins (n = 12) with tandem repeats and another group encoding proteins with eukaryote-like ankyrin domains (n = 7).

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 978222
• Journal Information: Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 188, Issue 11; ISSN 0021-9193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
BACTERIA
CHROMOSOMES
DOGS
GENES
MEMBRANES
PROTEINS
RNA