Phasevarions of Bacterial Pathogens: Methylomics Sheds New Light on Old Enemies
Author(s)
Atack, John M
Tan, Aimee
Bakaletz, Lauren O
Jennings, Michael P
Seib, Kate L
Year published
2018
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A wide variety of bacterial pathogens express phase-variable DNA methyltransferases that control expression of multiple genes via epigenetic mechanisms. These randomly switching regulons – phasevarions – regulate genes involved in pathogenesis, host adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. Individual phase-variable genes can be identified in silico as they contain easily recognized features such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or inverted repeats (IRs) that mediate the random switching of expression. Conversely, phasevarion-controlled genes do not contain any easily identifiable features. The study of DNA methyltransferase ...
View more >A wide variety of bacterial pathogens express phase-variable DNA methyltransferases that control expression of multiple genes via epigenetic mechanisms. These randomly switching regulons – phasevarions – regulate genes involved in pathogenesis, host adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. Individual phase-variable genes can be identified in silico as they contain easily recognized features such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or inverted repeats (IRs) that mediate the random switching of expression. Conversely, phasevarion-controlled genes do not contain any easily identifiable features. The study of DNA methyltransferase specificity using Single-Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing and methylome analysis has rapidly advanced the analysis of phasevarions by allowing methylomics to be combined with whole-transcriptome/proteome analysis to comprehensively characterize these systems in a number of important bacterial pathogens.
View less >
View more >A wide variety of bacterial pathogens express phase-variable DNA methyltransferases that control expression of multiple genes via epigenetic mechanisms. These randomly switching regulons – phasevarions – regulate genes involved in pathogenesis, host adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. Individual phase-variable genes can be identified in silico as they contain easily recognized features such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) or inverted repeats (IRs) that mediate the random switching of expression. Conversely, phasevarion-controlled genes do not contain any easily identifiable features. The study of DNA methyltransferase specificity using Single-Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing and methylome analysis has rapidly advanced the analysis of phasevarions by allowing methylomics to be combined with whole-transcriptome/proteome analysis to comprehensively characterize these systems in a number of important bacterial pathogens.
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Journal Title
Trends in Microbiology
Volume
26
Issue
8
Funder(s)
NHMRC
Grant identifier(s)
APP1099279
APP1045235
Subject
Microbiology
Microbiology not elsewhere classified
Medical microbiology