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Transposon‐like Correia elements: structure, distribution and genetic exchange between pathogenic Neisseria sp
Author(s) -
Buisine Nicolas,
Tang Christoph M,
Chalmers Ronald
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02882-x
Subject(s) - transposable element , neisseria , biology , genetics , inverted repeat , phylogenetic tree , genome , in silico , neisseria meningitidis , horizontal gene transfer , computational biology , gene , bacteria
Correia elements are a prominent feature of all four Neisseria genome sequences. We report an in silico analysis of the structure and genomic distribution of these elements and some preliminary biochemical data. Correia elements fall into four major families, distinguished by a 50 bp internal deletion and five point mutations. The elements resemble a transposon with 25 bp inverted repeats and a TA duplication at the target site. Within the element there is a functional integration host factor binding site. The genomic distribution of Correia elements is essentially random except for some small Correia‐less regions apparently acquired by horizontal transfer. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that their presence predates the divergence of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae .