Populationsgenetik von Helicobacter pylori

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Mark Achtman
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: from 1999 to 2005
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5151546

The population genetics and geographical distribution of Helicobacter pylori will be investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), i.e. sequencing multiple loci encoding housekeeping genes. Recent work from our laboratories has documented that this is a valid approach for these purposes and indicates that H. pylori isolated in East Asia (China, Japan) and Africa each belong to a distinct clonal grouping while bacteria from Europe, USA, and South America recombine so much that clonal descent cannot be recognized. These analyses will be extended to 500 bacteria from as diverse global sources as possible. The results will be the first comprehensive, global analysis of this kind for any bacterium and will supply the foundation for subsequent studies on the coevolution of H. pylori and human races.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1047: Ökologie bakterieller Krankheitserreger: Molekulare und evolutionäre Aspekte
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Sebastian Suerbaum