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Analysis of Recombination in Campylobacter jejuni from MLST Population Data

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Abstract

We analyze recombination in C. jejuni using MLST data from isolates taken from wild birds, cattle, wild rabbits, and water in a 100-km2 study region in Cheshire, UK. We use a recent approximate likelihood method for inference, based on combining likelihood information from all pairs of segregating (polymorphic) sites in the data. We find substantial evidence for recombination, but only for recombination with short tract lengths, of around 225–750 bp. We estimate that the rate of recombination is of a similar magnitude to the rate of mutation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by EPSRC grant GR/S18786/01, and by the Environment Institute and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). We thank Daniel Falush for helpful comments.

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Correspondence to Paul Fearnhead.

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[Reviewing Editor: Dr. Magnus Nordborg]

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Fearnhead, P., Smith, N.G., Barrigas, M. et al. Analysis of Recombination in Campylobacter jejuni from MLST Population Data. J Mol Evol 61, 333–340 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0316-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0316-0

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