Evidence of horizontal gene transfer of 50S ribosomal genes rplB, rplD, and rplY in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Manoharan-Basil, Sheeba Santhini; Laumen, Jolein Gyonne Elise; Van Dijck, Christophe; De Block, Tessa; De Baetselier, Irith; Kenyon, Chris

doi:10.3389/FMICB.2021.683901

Title

Evidence of horizontal gene transfer of 50S ribosomal genes rplB, rplD, and rplY in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Author

Manoharan-Basil, Sheeba Santhini

Laumen, Jolein Gyonne Elise

Van Dijck, Christophe

De Block, Tessa

De Baetselier, Irith

Kenyon, Chris

Abstract

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the penA and multidrug efflux pump genes has been shown to play a key role in the genesis of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In this study, we evaluated if there was evidence of HGT in the genes coding for the ribosomal proteins in the Neisseria genus. We did this in a collection of 11,659 isolates of Neisseria, including N. gonorrhoeae and commensal Neisseria species (N. cinerea, N. elongata, N. flavescens, N. mucosa, N. polysaccharea, and N. subflava). Comparative genomic analyses identified HGT events in three genes: rplB, rplD, and rplY coding for ribosomal proteins L2, L4 and L25, respectively. Recombination events were predicted in N. gonorrhoeae and N. cinerea, N. subflava, and N. lactamica were identified as likely progenitors. In total, 2,337, 2,355, and 1,127 isolates possessed L2, L4, and L25 HGT events. Strong associations were found between HGT in L2/L4 and the C2597T 23S rRNA mutation that confers reduced susceptibility to macrolides. Whilst previous studies have found evidence of HGT of entire genes coding for ribosomal proteins in other bacterial species, this is the first study to find evidence of HGT-mediated chimerization of ribosomal proteins.

Language

English

Source (journal)

Frontiers in microbiology. - Lausanne, 2010, currens

Publication

Lausanne : Frontiers Research Foundation , 2021

ISSN

1664-302X

DOI

10.3389/FMICB.2021.683901

Volume/pages

12 (2021) , 17 p.