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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2000, p. 3948-3954, Vol. 182, No. 14
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
comH, a Novel Gene Essential for Natural
Transformation of Helicobacter pylori
Leonard C.
Smeets,
Jetta
J. E.
Bijlsma,
Sacha Y.
Boomkens,
Christina M. J. E.
Vandenbroucke-Grauls, and
Johannes
G.
Kusters*
Department of Medical Microbiology and
Infection Control, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Received 7 February 2000/Accepted 26 April 2000
Helicobacter pylori is naturally competent for
transformation, but the DNA uptake system of this bacterium is only
partially characterized, and nothing is known about the regulation of
competence in H. pylori. To identify other components
involved in transformation or competence regulation in this species, we
screened a mutant library for competence-deficient mutants. This
resulted in the identification of a novel,
Helicobacter-specific competence gene (comH)
whose function is essential for transformation of H. pylori with chromosomal DNA fragments as well as with plasmids.
Complementation of comH mutants in trans
completely restored competence. Unlike other transformation genes of
H. pylori, comH does not belong to a known
family of orthologous genes. Moreover, no significant homologs of
comH were identified in currently available databases of
bacterial genome sequences. The comH gene codes for a
protein with an N-terminal leader sequence and is present in both
highly competent and less-efficient transforming H. pylori
strains. A comH homolog was found in Helicobacter
acinonychis but not in Helicobacter felis and
Helicobacter mustelae.
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of
Medical Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Phone: 31 20 4448310. Fax: 31 20 4448318. E-mail: jg.kusters.mm{at}med.vu.nl.
Journal of Bacteriology, July 2000, p. 3948-3954, Vol. 182, No. 14
0021-9193/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
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