Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 8 August 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5634, pp. 790 - 793
DOI: 10.1126/science.1086802
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Viewpoint

Prokaryotic Chromosomes and Disease

Jörg Hacker,* Ute Hentschel, Ulrich Dobrindt

Recent insights into bacterial genome organization and function have improved our understanding of the nature of pathogenic bacteria and their ability to cause disease. It is becoming increasingly clear that the bacterial chromosome constantly undergoes structural changes due to gene acquisition and loss, recombination, and mutational events that have an impact on the pathogenic potential of the bacterium. Even though the bacterial genome includes additional genetic elements, the chromosome represents the most important entity in this context. Here, we will show that various processes of genomic instability have an influence on the many manifestations of infectious disease.

Institut für Molekulare Infektionsbiologie, Universität Würzburg, Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: j.hacker{at}mail.uni-wuerzburg.de

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Transposable Element Loads in a Bacterial Symbiont of Weevils Are Extremely Variable.
K. M. Dougherty and G. R. Plague (2008)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 74, 7832-7834
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Virulence Factors in Urinary Escherichia coli Strains: Phylogenetic Background and Quinolone and Fluoroquinolone Resistance.
G. Piatti, A. Mannini, M. Balistreri, and A. M. Schito (2008)
J. Clin. Microbiol. 46, 480-487
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Critical Role of RecN in Recombinational DNA Repair and Survival of Helicobacter pylori.
G. Wang and R. J. Maier (2008)
Infect. Immun. 76, 153-160
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
tDNA locus polymorphism and ecto-chromosomal DNA insertion hot-spots are related to the phylogenetic group of Escherichia coli strains.
P. Germon, D. Roche, S. Melo, S. Mignon-Grasteau, U. Dobrindt, J. Hacker, C. Schouler, and M. Moulin-Schouleur (2007)
Microbiology 153, 826-837
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
How to become a uropathogen: Comparative genomic analysis of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli strains.
E. Brzuszkiewicz, H. Bruggemann, H. Liesegang, M. Emmerth, T. Olschlager, G. Nagy, K. Albermann, C. Wagner, C. Buchrieser, L. Emody, et al. (2006)
PNAS 103, 12879-12884
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Escherichia coli induces DNA double-strand breaks in eukaryotic cells..
J.-P. Nougayrede, S. Homburg, F. Taieb, M. Boury, E. Brzuszkiewicz, G. Gottschalk, C. Buchrieser, J. Hacker, U. Dobrindt, and E. Oswald (2006)
Science 313, 848-851
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Inference and Analysis of the Relative Stability of Bacterial Chromosomes.
E. P. C. Rocha (2006)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 23, 513-522
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Multiple Insertional Events, Restricted by the Genetic Background, Have Led to Acquisition of Pathogenicity Island IIJ96-Like Domains among Escherichia coli Strains of Different Clinical Origins.
P. Bidet, S. Bonacorsi, O. Clermont, C. De Montille, N. Brahimi, and E. Bingen (2005)
Infect. Immun. 73, 4081-4087
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Characterization of a Mobile clpL Gene from Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
A. Suokko, K. Savijoki, E. Malinen, A. Palva, and P. Varmanen (2005)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 71, 2061-2069
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A bipartite signal mediates the transfer of type IV secretion substrates of Bartonella henselae into human cells.
R. Schulein, P. Guye, T. A. Rhomberg, M. C. Schmid, G. Schroder, A. C. Vergunst, I. Carena, and C. Dehio (2005)
PNAS 102, 856-861
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Genome Diversity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Cystic Fibrosis Patients and the Hospital Environment.
S. Finnan, J. P. Morrissey, F. O'Gara, and E. F. Boyd (2004)
J. Clin. Microbiol. 42, 5783-5792
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Effect of Host Species on RecG Phenotypes in Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli.
J. Kang, D. Tavakoli, A. Tschumi, R. A. Aras, and M. J. Blaser (2004)
J. Bacteriol. 186, 7704-7713
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Biodiversity of Vibrios.
F. L. Thompson, T. Iida, and J. Swings (2004)
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 68, 403-431
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Regulatory Trade-Off as a Source of Strain Variation in the Species Escherichia coli.
T. King, A. Ishihama, A. Kori, and T. Ferenci (2004)
J. Bacteriol. 186, 5614-5620
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Analysis of the Genome Structure of the Nonpathogenic Probiotic Escherichia coli Strain Nissle 1917.
L. Grozdanov, C. Raasch, J. Schulze, U. Sonnenborn, G. Gottschalk, J. Hacker, and U. Dobrindt (2004)
J. Bacteriol. 186, 5432-5441
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Definition of a Bacterial Type IV Secretion Pathway for a DNA Substrate.
E. Cascales and P. J. Christie (2004)
Science 304, 1170-1173
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
HLA-B27-Associated Reactive Arthritis: Pathogenetic and Clinical Considerations.
I. Colmegna, R. Cuchacovich, and L. R. Espinoza (2004)
Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17, 348-369
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
High Deleterious Genomic Mutation Rate in Stationary Phase of Escherichia coli.
L. Loewe, V. Textor, and S. Scherer (2003)
Science 302, 1558-1560
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Bacterial Sex: Playing Voyeurs 50 Years Later.
M. Kohiyama, S. Hiraga, I. Matic, and M. Radman (2003)
Science 301, 802-803
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)