Biomedical subjects

James C Demma

Publications and source records attributed to James C Demma.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Comparing phylogenetic codivergence between polyomaviruses and their hosts.

Seventy-two full genomes corresponding to nine mammalian (67 strains) and two avian (5 strains) polyomavirus species were analyzed using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic inference. Our fully resolved and well-supported (bootstrap proportions > 90%; posterior probabilities = 1.0) trees separate the bird polyomaviruses (avian polyomavirus and goose hemorrhagic polyomavirus) from the mammalian polyomaviruses, which supports the idea of spitting the genus into two subgenera. Such a split is also consistent with the different viral life strategies of each group. Simian (simian virus 40, simian agent 12 [Sa12], and lymphotropic polyomavirus) and rodent (hamster polyomavirus, mouse polyomavirus, and murine pneumotropic polyomavirus [MPtV]) polyomaviruses did not form monophyletic groups. Using our best hypothesis of polyomavirus evolutionary relationships and established host phylogenies, we performed a cophylogenetic reconciliation analysis of codivergence. Our analyses generated six optimal cophylogenetic scenarios of coevolution, including 12 codivergence events (P < 0.01), suggesting that Polyomaviridae coevolved with their avian and mammal hosts. As individual lineages, our analyses showed evidence of host switching in four terminal branches leading to MPtV, bovine polyomavirus, Sa12, and BK virus, suggesting a combination of vertical and horizontal transfer in the evolutionary history of the polyomaviruses.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Population genetics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a high-prevalence community using a hypervariable outer membrane porB and 13 slowly evolving housekeeping genes.

Baltimore, Md., is an urban community with a high prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Due to partially protective immune responses, introduction of new strains from other host populations, and exposure of N. gonorrhoeae to antibiotics, the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the circulating strains can fluctuate over time. Understanding the overall genetic diversity and population structure of N. gonorrhoeae is essential for informing public health interventions to eliminate this pathogen. We studied gonococci population genetics in Baltimore by analyzing a hypervariable and strongly selected outer membrane porB gene and 13 slowly evolving and presumably neutral housekeeping genes (abcZ, adk, aroE, fumC, gdh, glnA, gnd, pdhC, pgm, pilA, ppk, pyrD, and serC) in 204 isolates collected in 1991, 1996, and 2001 from male and female patients of two public sexually transmitted diseases clinics. Genetic diversity (), recombination (C), growth (g), population structure, and adaptive selection under codon-substitution and amino acid property models were estimated and compared between these two gene classes. Estimates of the F(ST) fixation index and the chi(2) test of sequence absolute frequencies revealed significant temporal substructuring for both gene types. Baltimore's N. gonorrhoeae populations have increased since 1991 as indicated by consistent positive values of g. Female patients showed similar or lower levels of and C than male patients. Within the MLST housekeeping genes, levels of and C ranged from 0.001-0.013 and 0.000-0.018, respectively. Overall recombination seems to be the dominant force driving evolution in these populations. All loci showed amino acid sites and physicochemical properties under adaptive (or positive-destabilizing) selection, rejecting the generally assumed hypothesis of stabilizing selection for these MLST genes. Within the porB gene, protein I B showed higher and C values than protein I A. Directional positive selection possibly mediated by the immune system operates to a significant extent in the protein I sequences, as indicated by the distribution of the positively selected sites in the surface-exposed loops. Thirteen amino acid physicochemical properties seem to drive protein evolution of the PI porins in N. gonorrhoeae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Genetic diversity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae housekeeping genes.

Molecular typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains is an important tool for epidemiological studies of gonococcal infection and transmission. The recently developed multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method is based on the genetic variation among housekeeping genes. As a preliminary investigation for the development of such a method, we characterized the genetic diversity at 18 gonococcal housekeeping gene loci. Approximately 17,500 nucleotides, spanning 18 loci, were sequenced from 24 isolates. Including strain FA 1090, which has been fully sequenced, and three unique glnA sequences from GenBank, the number of alleles identified for the 18 loci ranged from 2 to 18, with a mean of 8.3 alleles per locus. The majority of polymorphic sites were distributed randomly along the genes, consistent with evolution of DNA sequences by point mutation. In addition, several examples of clustered mutations and insertions or deletions were detected, which most likely occurred by recombinational events. While purifying selection is the dominant force driving the evolution of these housekeeping genes, positive selection also appeared to operate on the abcZ and gpdh loci. The 25 completely characterized strains each had a unique allelic profile with as few as three loci (pilA, abcZ, and pip or pgi2). Molecular typing based on the allelic profile of housekeeping genes resolved the isolates better than either porB nucleotide sequencing or typing of the opa gene. The allelic profiles for the pilA, abcZ, and serC loci of paired strains from 16 sexual contacts were identical. A potential MLST for N. gonorrhoeae, based on approximately 500- to 600-bp gene fragments of seven housekeeping gene loci, would include the pilA, abcZ, serC, glnA, gdh, gnd, and pip loci.

Base Sequence↗