INTERSPECIES SEQUENCE DIFFERENCES IN THE MIP PROTEIN FROM THE GENUS LEGIONELLA - IMPLICATIONS FOR FUNCTION AND EVOLUTIONARY RELATEDNESS

The nucleotide sequence of the mip genes and their inferred amino acid sequences were determined from 35 Legionella species and compared wit h the published sequences for L. pneumophila, L. micdadei and L. longb eachae. The sequences were 69-97% conserved at the nucleotide level an d 82-99% at the amino acid level, with total conservation of amino aci ds determined to be associated with sites known to be involved in pept idyl proryl cis-trans isomerase activity. No apparent difference could be determined in the arrangement of amino acids that would predict a functional difference in Mip from species associated with disease and Mip from species isolated only from the environment. Additionally, a p hylogenetic comparison of the sequences with published 16S RNA sequenc es, using both genetic distance and maximum parsimony methods, was per formed. Few relationships were apparent that were well supported by bo th data sets, the most robust being a clade comprising {[(cincinnatien sis, longbeachae, sainthelensi, santicrucis) gratiana] (moravica, quat eirensis, shakespearei, worsleiensis) anisa, bozemanii, cherrii, dumof fii, gormanii, jordanis, parisiensis, pneumophila, steigerwaltii, tucs onensis, and wadsworthii}.