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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #257951
Title: Differences in Methylation at GATC sites in genomic DNA of Campylobacter coli from turkeys and swine

Author
item WRIGHT, SANDRA - North Carolina State University
item WILSON, SIMONE - North Carolina State University
item Miller, William - Bill
item Mandrell, Robert
item SILETSKY, ROBIN - North Carolina State University
item KATHARIOU, SOPHIA - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/31/2010
Publication Date: 11/1/2010
Citation: Wright, S., Wilson, S., Miller, W.G., Mandrell, R.E., Siletsky, R.M., Kathariou, S. 2010. Methylation at GATC sites in genomic DNA of Campylobacter coli from turkeys and swine. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76(21):7314-7317.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter coli is a food-borne pathogen related to Campylobacter jejuni. Typing of Campylobacter coli strains identified groups of strains strongly associated with particular food animals, for example chicken, turkeys, cattle and pigs. Although host-association has been identified in this species, the genes that determine this association remain unclear. This study identified a gene that is present in a large proportion of swine-associated C. coli strains but is not present within turkey-associated isolates. This gene encodes a protein that adds methyl groups to particular DNA target sequences. Although the role of DNA methylation in host-association remains to be determined, such methylation has been shown previously to be involved in DNA repair and gene regulation.

Technical Abstract: A significant fraction (46/108, 43%) of swine isolates of Campylobacter coli, but none of 81 isolates of C. coli from turkeys, had genomic DNA that was resistant to digestion by MboI, suggesting methylation of adenines at GATC sites. Four swine-associated multilocus sequence typing-based sequence types (STs) were detected among multiple isolates with MboI-resistant DNA. The data suggest host-associated DNA modification system(s) specific for adenine at GATC sites in C. coli from swine.