Comparative genomics of closely related salmonellae.

Rob Edwards, Ph.D.

Salmonella are a leading cause of food borne illness in the US. However,
not all Salmonella can infect all animals. Comparison of the
similarities and differences between the five publicly available
Salmonella genome sequences reveals extensive sequence conservation
among the Salmonella serovars. However, horizontal gene transfer has
provided each genome with between 10% and 12% of unique DNA. These
comparative analyses will lead to the identification of unique virulence
factors responsible for the varied host specificity of members of the
salmonellae.