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Nucleic Acids Research Advance Access originally published online on June 28, 2008
Nucleic Acids Research 2008 36(14):4529-4548; doi:10.1093/nar/gkn372
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Nucleic Acids Research, 2008, Vol. 36, No. 14 4529-4548
© 2008 The Author(s)
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Survey and Summary

Survey of group I and group II introns in 29 sequenced genomes of the Bacillus cereus group: insights into their spread and evolution

Nicolas J. Tourasse and Anne-Brit Kolstø*

Laboratory for Microbial Dynamics (LaMDa), Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +47 22 85 69 23; Fax: +47 22 84 49 44; Email: a.b.kolsto{at}farmasi.uio.no

Received February 25, 2008. Revised April 28, 2008. Accepted May 28, 2008.

Group I and group II introns are different catalytic self-splicing and mobile RNA elements that contribute to genome dynamics. In this study, we have analyzed their distribution and evolution in 29 sequenced genomes from the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria. Introns were of different structural classes and evolutionary origins, and a large number of nearly identical elements are shared between multiple strains of different sources, suggesting recent lateral transfers and/or that introns are under a strong selection pressure. Altogether, 73 group I introns were identified, inserted in essential genes from the chromosome or newly described prophages, including the first elements found within phages in bacterial plasmids. Notably, bacteriophages are an important source for spreading group I introns between strains. Furthermore, 77 group II introns were found within a diverse set of chromosomal and plasmidic genes. Unusual findings include elements located within conserved DNA metabolism and repair genes and one intron inserted within a novel retroelement. Group II introns are mainly disseminated via plasmids and can subsequently invade the host genome, in particular by coupling mobility with host cell replication. This study reveals a very high diversity and variability of mobile introns in B. cereus group strains.


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