![]() ![]() "Until we reviewed the sequence data, we had no idea P. mirabilis genome made up of 24 genes that encode components of a system used to inject bacterial proteins into host cells. Pearson also discovered what she calls a "pathogenicity island" in the P. "Suddenly, here were 11 more predicted in the genome sequence data. "Over the course of 20-plus years of laboratory research, we had painstakingly identified four P. It's not unusual for bacteria to have several ways of attaching to surfaces, but I've never heard of one with 15 different adherence factors before." "All these different fimbriae help the bacterium stick to bladder cells, catheters, kidney stones or each other. "This bacterium has an unusually high number of genes that encode for 15 different adherence factors or fimbriae on its surface," Pearson explains. When Pearson examined the genomic sequence data for Proteus mirabilis, she discovered an explanation for the bacterium's "stickiness." Once a stone begins to form, bacteria stick to the stone and live within its layers, where they are protected from antibiotics. mirabilis, which breaks down urea in the urinary tract, reduces the acidity of urine and leads to the formation of kidney or bladder stones. Mobley is an expert on urease, an enzyme produced by P. "It is particularly prevalent in nursing home residents with indwelling catheters." Mobley, Ph.D., professor and chair of microbiology and immunology in the U-M Medical School. In cases where stones form, the bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics," says Harry L.T. mirabilis causes more infections in those with 'complicated' urinary tracts. coli causes urinary tract infections in otherwise healthy individuals, but P. "Part of our goal is finding potential targets for new vaccines that could protect people from infection." "Access to the full genome sequence will help scientists determine the virulence factors produced by the organism and learn how it causes disease," Pearson says. She will present her initial findings in an ASM poster presentation beginning at 9 a.m. Pearson, Ph.D., a research fellow in microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School, is the first scientist to perform an in-depth analysis of the genome sequence. mirabilis, which includes at least 3,693 genes and 4.063 megabases of DNA, will be presented at the 106th general meeting of the American Society of Microbiology taking place in Orlando from May 21-25. Data from the first complete genome sequence for P. ![]()
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