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Missing genes may help explain why plague bacteria are so deadly

What makes the germ that causes plague so lethal, while a close relative only produces digestive disorders and is rarely fatal?

The answer may be in its genes - or rather, its lack of them.

By comparing the genome of the plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis, with the almost-identical DNA sequence of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, an international team led by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has found that several hundred genes that apparently were inactivated as the plague bacterium evolved may be largely responsible for its virulence.

Lawrence Livermore is operated by the University of California.

To read the release, click here.

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