Open AccessIdentification of a chimeric emm gene and novel emm pattern in currently circulating strains of emm4 Group A Streptococcus
Author(s) -
Sruti DebRoy,
Xiqi Li,
Awdhesh Kalia,
Jessica Galloway-Peña,
Brittany J. Shah,
Vance G. Fowler,
Anthony R. Flores,
Samuel A. Shelburne
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
microbial genomics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.476
H-Index - 28
ISSN - 2057-5858
DOI - 10.1099/mgen.0.000235
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , streptococcus , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , group (periodic table) , biology , computational biology , medicine , virology , genetics , chemistry , bacteria , organic chemistry , botany
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is classified on the basis of the sequence of the gene encoding the M protein (emm) and the patterns into which emm types are grouped. We discovered a novel emm pattern in emm4 GAS, historically considered pattern E, arising from a fusion event between emm and the adjacent enn gene. We identified the emm-enn fusion event in 51 out of 52 emm4 GAS strains isolated by national surveillance in 2015. GAS isolates with an emm-enn fusion event completely replaced pattern E emm4 strains over a 4-year span in Houston (2013-2017). The novel emm-enn gene fusion and new emm pattern has potential vaccine implications.