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Characterization of mobile genetic elements in zoonotic agents (S. aureus and Yersinia)

Project

Food and consumer protection

This project contributes to the research aim 'Food and consumer protection'. Which funding institutions are active for this aim? What are the sub-aims? Take a look:
Food and consumer protection


Project code: BfR-BIOS-08-1322-652
Contract period: 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2016
Purpose of research: Applied research

Bacterial genomes are not static molecules but subjected to a perpetual change. Alterations of genomes may occur by recombination or by the uptake and transfer of DNA sequences, notably under selective pressure (e. g. stress). Mobile genetic elements (bacteriophages, plasmids, transposons, integrons etc.) affect those changes to a particular extent. Temperate phages, e. g. may confer new properties to bacteria by lysogenic conversion, as it occurred during the development of E. coli O104:H4. Virulent phages may similarly transfer resistance and virulence genes by transduction to other bacteria. Further vehicles for the transmission of DNA are conjugative and mobilizable plasmids. The plasmids are transmitted by horizontal gene transfer to other strains, closely related species or even to bacteria belonging to different genera, where they may lead to the emergence of new pathotypes. In this project mobile genetic elements of foodborne zoonotic pathogens shall be analysed to elucidate their importance for horizontal gene transfer and for the transmission of virulence and resistance genes. For this purpose phages and plasmids of Gram-negative (Yersinia) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria shall be isolated and sequenced by NGS (MiSeq) using BfR facilities. The characterization of mobile genetic elements shall form the basis to establish the method at the BfR. Using bioinformatic tools, factors that are important for mobility or which may affect the pathogenicity of the bacteria shall be identified. In this studiy bacterial isolates recovered from various sources shall be investigated to assess the prevalence and dissemination of those mobile genetic elements in pathogens.

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Subjects

Framework programme

BMEL Frameworkprogramme 2008

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