(Below N is a link to NCBI taxonomic web page and E link to ESTHER at designed phylum.) > cellular organisms: NE > Bacteria: NE > Terrabacteria group: NE > Actinobacteria [phylum]: NE > Actinobacteria [class]: NE > Corynebacteriales: NE > Mycobacteriaceae: NE > Mycobacterium: NE > Mycobacterium leprae: NE
Warning: This entry is a compilation of different species or line or strain with more than 90% amino acid identity. You can retrieve all strain data
(Below N is a link to NCBI taxonomic web page and E link to ESTHER at designed phylum.) Mycobacterium leprae Br4923: N, E.
Mycobacterium leprae TN: N, E.
Mycobacterium leprae 3125609: N, E.
MRGLSAVVRVLCVAALAVGVFAAAVLLAGTAGNAKAAGYESLMVPSNAMG
RDIPVAFMAGGPHAVYLLDAFNAALDVSNWVTAGNAMTTLGGRGISVVAP
AGGAYSMYTNWENDGSKQWDTFLSSELPDWLATKRGLAPDGHAAVGASQG
GYAALALAAFHPDRFGFAGSLSGFVYPSSTNYNGAILAGLQQFGGIDGNG
MWGAPQLGRWKWHDPYVHASLLAQNNTRVWVYSPMTMGGDIDAMIGQAVA
SMGSSREFYQQYRSVGGHNGHFDFSGGGDNGWGAWAPQLAAMSGDIVGAI
R
LegendThis sequence has been compared to family alignement (MSA) red => minority aminoacid blue => majority aminoacid color intensity => conservation rate title => sequence position(MSA position)aminoacid rate Catalytic site Catalytic site in the MSA MRGLSAVVRVLCVAALAVGVFAAAVLLAGTAGNAKAAGYESLMVPSNAMG RDIPVAFMAGGPHAVYLLDAFNAALDVSNWVTAGNAMTTLGGRGISVVAP AGGAYSMYTNWENDGSKQWDTFLSSELPDWLATKRGLAPDGHAAVGASQG GYAALALAAFHPDRFGFAGSLSGFVYPSSTNYNGAILAGLQQFGGIDGNG MWGAPQLGRWKWHDPYVHASLLAQNNTRVWVYSPMTMGGDIDAMIGQAVA SMGSSREFYQQYRSVGGHNGHFDFSGGGDNGWGAWAPQLAAMSGDIVGAI R
Reductive evolution and massive pseudogene formation have shaped the 3.31-Mb genome of Mycobacterium leprae, an unculturable obligate pathogen that causes leprosy in humans. The complete genome sequence of M. leprae strain Br4923 from Brazil was obtained by conventional methods (6x coverage), and Illumina resequencing technology was used to obtain the sequences of strains Thai53 (38x coverage) and NHDP63 (46x coverage) from Thailand and the United States, respectively. Whole-genome comparisons with the previously sequenced TN strain from India revealed that the four strains share 99.995% sequence identity and differ only in 215 polymorphic sites, mainly SNPs, and by 5 pseudogenes. Sixteen interrelated SNP subtypes were defined by genotyping both extant and extinct strains of M. leprae from around the world. The 16 SNP subtypes showed a strong geographical association that reflects the migration patterns of early humans and trade routes, with the Silk Road linking Europe to China having contributed to the spread of leprosy.
Leprosy, a chronic human neurological disease, results from infection with the obligate intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium leprae, a close relative of the tubercle bacillus. Mycobacterium leprae has the longest doubling time of all known bacteria and has thwarted every effort at culture in the laboratory. Comparing the 3.27-megabase (Mb) genome sequence of an armadillo-derived Indian isolate of the leprosy bacillus with that of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4.41 Mb) provides clear explanations for these properties and reveals an extreme case of reductive evolution. Less than half of the genome contains functional genes but pseudogenes, with intact counterparts in M. tuberculosis, abound. Genome downsizing and the current mosaic arrangement appear to have resulted from extensive recombination events between dispersed repetitive sequences. Gene deletion and decay have eliminated many important metabolic activities including siderophore production, part of the oxidative and most of the microaerophilic and anaerobic respiratory chains, and numerous catabolic systems and their regulatory circuits.
The genes for two novel members (designated 85A and 85C) of the Mycobacterium leprae antigen 85 complex family of proteins and the gene for the closely related M. leprae MPT51 protein were isolated. The complete DNA sequence of the M. leprae 85C gene and partial sequences of the 85A and MPT51 genes are presented. As in M. tuberculosis, the M. leprae 85A, 85C, and previously identified 85B component genes are not closely linked on the genome. However, the MPT51 genes of both species localize close to the respective 85A component genes. Like the 85B component, the M. leprae 85A-MPT51 and 85C antigens are recognized by T cells from healthy contacts and leprosy patients.