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Molecular population genetic analysis of the streptokinase gene of Streptococcus pyogenes: mosaic alleles generated by recombination

To understand the mechanisms governing molecular evolution of the streptokinase gene (skn), a 384 bp DNA fragment encoding two variable regions of the molecule was characterized in 47 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes. The results reveal that alleles of the streptokinase gene have a mosaic structure, and provide strong evidence for intragenic recombination. Moreover, organisms that are well differentiated in overall chromosomal character have identical skn alleles, which suggests that horizontal gene transfer and recombination have participated in the evolution of this locus. No simple relationship between skn allele and serum opacity factor production or specific disease was identified. The predicted amino acid sequences of highly divergent skn alleles are strikingly similar in hydrophobicity and hydrophobicity profiles, distribution of amphipathic and flexible regions, surface probability plots, and antigenic indices, indicating that despite extensive nucleotide polymorphism in the two skn variable regions, selective pressure has constrained overall structural divergence. These results add to an important emerging theme that intragenic recombination plays a critical role in diversifying genes coding for streptococcal virulence factors.