Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #149642
Title: MUTATION RATE STUDY IN 3,000 GENERATIONS OF CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI

Author
item Meinersmann, Richard - Rick
item Phillips, Robert

Submitted to: Campylobacter Helicobacter and Related Organisms International Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/6/2003
Citation: MEINERSMANN, R.J., PHILLIPS, R.W. 2003. MUTATION RATE STUDY IN 3,000 GENERATIONS OF CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI. CAMPYLOBACTER HELICOBACTER AND RELATED ORGANISMS INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP. September 6 - 10, 2003. Aarhus, Denmark.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter jejuni is a highly variable species and has a reduced set of mutation repair genes. However, it remains unclear how much of the variability is due to point mutations. To estimate the mutation rate in strains 81116 and NCTC11168, the strains were passed 116 times on Brucella FBP agar. Strain 81116 grew an estimated 26 generations per passage for a total of 3,016 generations and strain NCTC grew an estimated 23 generations per passage for a total of 2,668 generations. Samples of each strain were collected at the beginning and end of the passages and processed for DNA sequencing. At the time of this writing 4,741 base-pairs of DNA have been sequenced for strain 81116 including fragments of 4 housekeeping genes (aspA, glnA, glyA and pgmB) and 2 variable antigen genes (flaA and porA) and 4,048 base-pairs of DNA have been sequenced for strain NCTC11168 including 4 housekeeping genes (glnA, glyA, pgmB, and tkt) and 1 variable antigen (flaA). There were no base substitutions found. This corresponds to a point mutation rate of less than 7 X 10-8. The data is insufficient to compare to normal Escherichia coli, but this indicates that the mutation rate for C. jejuni is far fewer than would be expected for a mutator strain of E. coli.