DOI: 10.1128/JB.00722-07
ABSTRACT
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains produce a type IV pilus named Longus. We identified a 16-gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of Longus that has 57 to 95% identity at the protein level to CFA/III, another type IV pilus of ETEC. Alleles of the Longus structural subunit gene lngA demonstrate a diversity of 12 to 19% at the protein level with strong positive selection for point replacements and horizontal transfer.
FOOTNOTES
- Received 7 May 2007.
- Accepted 20 September 2007.
↵▿ Published ahead of print on 19 October 2007.
↵† Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.
- American Society for Microbiology
