Open AccessPhenotypic variability of β‐glucoside utilization and its correlation to pathogenesis process in a few enteric bacteria
Author(s) -
Kharat Arun Sidram
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2001.tb10681.x
Subject(s) - enterobacteriaceae , biology , operon , salmonella , shigella , proteus mirabilis , microbiology and biotechnology , enterobacter aerogenes , escherichia coli , shigella sonnei , genetics , gene , phenotype , enterobacter , bacteria , rpos , pseudomonas aeruginosa , gene expression , promoter
Abstract Utilization of β‐glucosides is markedly variable in the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae . The results presented here provide molecular clues for evolutionary events that resulted in the phenotypic variability seen amongst the members of these species. The genomic hybridization of selected Enterobacteriaceae members with the Escherichia coli bgl and cel genes resulted in detection of a complete homolog of the bgl and cel operons in Shigella sonnei , a member that is evolutionarily closest to E. coli . However, the Salmonella group of organisms have been shown to carry only a homolog of bglR and bglG regions and the deletions of the bglF and bglB genes. Similarly, Proteus mirabilis , Enterobacter aerogenes and a non‐enteric Gram‐negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been shown to carry a homolog of the bglR and bglG regions and deletions of the bglF and bglB genes. The homolog of the cel operon could be identified in S. sonnei and Salmonella groups of organisms. Possible implications of these observations, in connection with the phenotypic variability seen in β‐glucoside utilization amongst these members, are discussed.