[Distribution of genes of toxin-antitoxin systems of mazEF and relBE families in bifidobacteria from human intestinal microbiota].

The in silico analysis of 36 sequenced genomes of bacteria of the Bifidobacterium genus determined the presence of 19 genes of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems that belong to the MazEF and RelBE families, including five mazF and two relE genes that encode toxins and 12 relB genes that encode antitoxins. A high level ofgene (at the level of nucleotide changes) and genomic (presence or absence of genes in distinct genomes) polymorphism in the investigated genes was revealed. The highest level of polymorphism was observed in strains of the Bifidobacterium longum species, primarily in relB1-10 genes. Gene and genomic polymorphism might be used to identify the strain of B. longum species. PCR analysis ofgenomic DNA of 30 bifidobacteria strains belonging to the three species, B. longum, B. adolscentis, and B. bifidum, isolated from the intestinal microbiota of astronauts demonstrated the presence of mazF and relB genes. The observed polymorphism of TA genes indicates the presence of differences in bifidobacteria strains isolated from the intestinal microbiota of astronauts before and after space flight and the control group.