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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1999, p. 1018-1023, Vol. 37, No. 4
Department of Microbiology,
Received 9 September 1998/Returned for modification 22 November
1998/Accepted 21 December 1998
Molecular analysis of Mycobacterium ulcerans has
revealed two new insertion sequences (ISs), IS2404 and
IS2606. IS2404 was identified by complete
sequencing of a previously described repetitive DNA segment from
M. ulcerans. This element is 1,274 bp long, contains 12-bp
inverted repeats and a single open reading frame (ORF) potentially encoding a protein of 327 amino acids (aa), and apparently generates 7-bp direct repeats upon transposition. Amino acid similarity was found
between the putative transposase and those encoded by ISs in other
bacterial sequences from Aeromonas salmonicida
(AsIs1), Escherichia coli (H repeat
element), Vibrio cholerae (VcIS1), and Porphyromonas gingivalis
(PGIS2). The second IS, IS2606, was discovered by sequence analysis of a HaeIII
fragment of M. ulcerans genomic DNA containing
a repetitive sequence. This element is 1,404 bp long, with 12-bp
inverted repeats and a single ORF potentially encoding a protein of 445 aa. Database searches revealed a high degree of amino acid
identity (70%) with the putative transposase of IS1554
from M. tuberculosis. Significant amino acid identity (40%) was also observed with transposases from several other
microorganisms, including Rhizobium meliloti
(ISRm3), Burkholderia cepacia
(IS1356), Corynebacterium diphtheriae, and
Yersinia pestis. PCR screening of DNA from 45 other species
of mycobacteria with primers for IS2404 confirm that
this element is found only in M. ulcerans. However, by
PCR, IS2606 was also found in Mycobacterium
lentiflavum, another slow-growing member of the genus
Mycobacterium that is apparently genetically distinct from
M. ulcerans. Testing the sensitivity of PCR based on
IS2404 and IS2606 primers demonstrated the
ability to detect 0.1 and 1 M. ulcerans genome
equivalents, respectively. The ability to detect small numbers of cells
by using two gene targets will be particularly useful for analyzing environmental samples, where there may be low concentrations of M. ulcerans among large numbers of other environmental mycobacteria.
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Identification and Characterization of IS2404 and
IS2606: Two Distinct Repeated Sequences for
Detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans by PCR
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Microbiology, Monash University, Wellington Rd., Clayton 3168, Australia. Phone: 61 3 9905 4809. Fax: 61 3 9905 4811. E-mail:
tim.stinear{at}med.monash.edu.au.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1999, p. 1018-1023, Vol. 37, No. 4
0095-1137/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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