Genome of the opportunistic pathogen Streptococcus sanguinis

J Bacteriol. 2007 Apr;189(8):3166-75. doi: 10.1128/JB.01808-06. Epub 2007 Feb 2.

Abstract

The genome of Streptococcus sanguinis is a circular DNA molecule consisting of 2,388,435 bp and is 177 to 590 kb larger than the other 21 streptococcal genomes that have been sequenced. The G+C content of the S. sanguinis genome is 43.4%, which is considerably higher than the G+C contents of other streptococci. The genome encodes 2,274 predicted proteins, 61 tRNAs, and four rRNA operons. A 70-kb region encoding pathways for vitamin B(12) biosynthesis and degradation of ethanolamine and propanediol was apparently acquired by horizontal gene transfer. The gene complement suggests new hypotheses for the pathogenesis and virulence of S. sanguinis and differs from the gene complements of other pathogenic and nonpathogenic streptococci. In particular, S. sanguinis possesses a remarkable abundance of putative surface proteins, which may permit it to be a primary colonizer of the oral cavity and agent of streptococcal endocarditis and infection in neutropenic patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Base Composition
  • Dental Plaque / microbiology
  • Gene Transfer, Horizontal
  • Genome, Bacterial*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Opportunistic Infections / microbiology
  • RNA, Bacterial / metabolism
  • RNA, Transfer / metabolism
  • Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
  • Streptococcus / genetics*
  • Streptococcus / pathogenicity
  • rRNA Operon

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Transfer

Associated data

  • GENBANK/CP000387