We analyzed the tuf gene, encoding elongation factor Tu, from 33 strains representing 17 Lactobacillus species and 8 Bifidobacterium species. The tuf sequences were aligned and used to infer phylogenesis among species of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. We demonstrated that the synonymous substitution affecting this gene renders elongation factor Tu a reliable molecular clock for investigating ...

The elongation factor Tu, encoded by tuf genes, is a GTP binding protein that plays a central role in protein synthesis. One to three tuf genes per genome are present, depending on the bacterial species. Most low-G+C-content gram-positive bacteria carry only one tuf gene. We have designed degenerate PCR primers derived from consensus sequences of the tuf gene to amplify partial tuf sequences fr...

A gene from Mycoplasma hominis PG21 similar to the tuf gene encoding the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) of Escherichia coli was cloned and sequenced. The 1193-bp open reading frame flanked by a putative promoter and a potential stem-and-loop structure encoded a 44-kDa polypeptide. The tuf gene of M. hominis PG21 has the lowest G + C content seen in prokaryotes (38.2%). A gene (mhlmp1) encoding a ...

A 761-bp portion of the tuf gene (encoding the elongation factor Tu) from 28 clinically relevant streptococcal species was obtained by sequencing amplicons generated using broad-range PCR primers. These tuf sequences were used to select Streptococcus-specific PCR primers and to perform phylogenetic analysis. The specificity of the PCR assay was verified using 102 different bacterial species, in...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that can cause a wide range of clinical symptoms and infections that are frequent in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we show that P. aeruginosa evades human complement attack by binding the human plasma regulators Factor H and Factor H-related protein-1 (FHR-1) to its surface. Factor H binds to intact bacteria via two sites th...

Bois noir, an economically important disease of grapevine yellows that causes significant economic losses in wine production, is associated with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ and transmitted to grapevines by cixiids Hyalesthes obsoletus Reptalus panzeri. Polyphagous planthopper Dictyophara europaea, commonly found natural habitats, harbors phytoplasmas from distinct groups alternative vector ...

It has been suggested that Rickettsia Palindromic Elements (RPEs) have evolved as selfish DNA that mediate protein sequence evolution by being targeted to genes that code for RNA and proteins. Here, we have examined the phylogenetic depth of two RPEs that are located close to the genes encoding elongation factors Tu (tuf) and G (fus) in Rickettsia. An exceptional organization of the elongation ...

BACKGROUND Phytoplasmas are bacterial phytopathogens responsible for significant losses in agricultural production worldwide. Several molecular markers are available for identification of groups or strains of phytoplasmas. However, they often cannot be used for identification of phytoplasmas from different groups simultaneously or are too long for routine diagnostics. DNA barcoding recently eme...