EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIP AMONG RFB GENE CLUSTERS SYNTHESIZING MANNOSE HOMOPOLYMER AS O-SPECIFIC POLYSACCHARIDES IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND KLEBSIELLA

In order to clarify the evolutionary relationship among rfb gene clust ers synthesizing mannose homopolymer as O-specific polysaccharides in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella, we studied the DNA sequence of the bo undary region between the rfb and his genes in a series of strains pos sessing mannose homopolymer as O-specific polysaccharide. All had a ch aracteristic gene organization carrying no gene between the rfb and hi s genes. Further, the recombination event was suggested to occur at th e same site of the hisI gene in those strains. It was suggested that t here was a close evolutionary relationship among rfb gene clusters syn thesizing mannose homopolymer as O-specific polysaccharide in E. coli and Klebsiella. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.