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Background  The C10 family of cysteine proteases includes enzymes that contribute to the virulence of bacterial pathogens, such as SpeB in  Streptococcus pyogenes . The presence of homologues of cysteine protease genes in human commensal organisms has not been examined.  Bacteroides fragilis  is a member of the dominant  Bacteroidetes  phylum of the human intestinal microbiota, and is a significant opportunistic pathogen.    Results  Four homologues of the streptococcal virulence factor SpeB were identified in the  B. fragilis  genome. These four protease genes, two were directly contiguous to open reading frames predicted to encode staphostatin-like inhibitors, with which the protease genes were co-transcribed. Two of these protease genes are unique to  B. fragilis  638R and are associated with two large genomic insertions. Gene annotation indicated that one of these insertions was a conjugative Tn-like element and the other was a prophage-like element, which was shown to be capable of excision. Homologues of the  B. fragilis  C10 protease genes were present in a panel of clinical isolates, and in DNA extracted from normal human faecal microbiota.    Conclusions  This study suggests a mechanism for the evolution and dissemination of an important class of protease in major members of the normal human microbiota.

The dissemination of C10 cysteine protease genes in Bacteroides fragilis by mobile genetic elements