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Science 26 October 2001:
Vol. 294. no. 5543, p. 741
DOI: 10.1126/science.294.5543.741o
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This Week in Science
In a large-scale bacterial genome-sequencing project, Glaser et al. (p. 849) offer a comparative analysis of the complete bacterial genomes from two members of the genus Listeria, one pathogenic (L. monocytogenes), one nonpathogenic (L. innocua). Interestingly, the few hundred mutually distinct genes are scattered throughout the genomes in about 100 gene islets. The sequences reveal surprising synteny with the genomes of Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus and an unexpectedly high number of gene orthologs. Among the Listeria genus-specific genes, surface and regulatory proteins are overrepresented, which indicates that lateral gene transfer and species diversification have occurred. Nevertheless, most of the virulence genes are on the L. monocytogenes "virulence locus," although there seems to be a trace of acquisition and subsequent loss of a virulence gene cassette by L. innocua.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)
