Comparative Genome Analysis Reveals Accumulation of Single-Nucleotide Repeats in Pathogenic Lineages.

Homopolymeric tracts (HPTs) can lead to phase variation and DNA replication slippage, driving adaptation to environmental changes and evolution of genes and genomes. However, there is limited information on HPTs in ; therefore, we conducted a comprehensive cross-strain search for HPTs in genomes. We determined the HPT genomic distribution and identified a pattern of high-frequency HPT localization in pathogenic lineages. Notably, HPTs localized near transcriptional regulatory genes. Additionally, excessive repeats accumulated in toxin-coding genes. Moreover, the genomic localization of some HPTs might be derived from exogenous DNA, such as that of bacteriophages. Altogether, our findings may prove useful for understanding the role of HPTs in genomes.