Genotypic profile of the outer membrane proteins BabA and BabB in clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori BabA is the ABO blood group antigen binding adhesin, which has a closely related paralogue (BabB) whose function is unknown. PCR and DNA sequence analysis showed extensive genotypic diversity in babA and babB across different strains, as well as within a strain colonizing an individual patient. We hypothesize that diverse profiles of babA and babB reflect selective pressures for adhesion, which may differ across different hosts and within an individual over time.