scholarly journals Genome rearrangements and selection in multi-chromosome bacteria Burkholderia spp

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga O Bochkareva ◽  
Elena V Moroz ◽  
Iakov I Davydov ◽  
Mikhail S Gelfand

AbstractBackgroundThe genus Burkholderia consists of species that occupy remarkably diverse ecological niches. Its best known members are important pathogens, B. mallei and B. pseudomallei, which cause glanders and melioidosis, respectively. Burkholderia genomes are unusual due to their multichromosomal organization.ResultsWe performed integrated genomic analysis of 127 Burkholderia strains. The pan-genome is open with the saturation to be reached between 86,000 and 88,000 genes. The reconstructed rearrangements indicate a strong avoidance of intra-replichore inversions that is likely caused by selection against the transfer of large groups of genes between the leading and the lagging strands. Translocated genes also tend to retain their position in the leading or the lagging strand, and this selection is stronger for large syntenies. Integrated reconstruction of chromosome rearrangements in the context of strains phylogeny reveals parallel rearrangements that may indicate inversion-based phase variation and integration of new genomic islands. In particular, we detected parallel inversions in the second chromosomes of B. pseudomallei with breakpoints formed by genes encoding membrane components of multidrug resistance complex, that may be linked to a phase variation mechanism. Two genomic islands, spreading horizontally between chromosomes, were detected in the B. cepacia group.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the power of integrated analysis of pan-genomes, chromosome rearrangements, and selection regimes. Non-random inversion patterns indicate selective pressure, inversions are particularly frequent in a recent pathogen B. mallei, and, together with periods of positive selection at other branches, may indicate adaptation to new niches. One such adaptation could be a possible phase variation mechanism in B. pseudomallei.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Lv ◽  
Ziwen He ◽  
Lijuan Hao ◽  
Xin Kang ◽  
Bi Ma ◽  
...  

Scleromitrula shiraiana is a necrotrophic fungus with a narrow host range, and is one of the main causal pathogens of mulberry sclerotial disease. However, its molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis are unclear. Here, we report a 39.0 Mb high-quality genome sequence for S. shiraiana strain SX-001. The S. shiraiana genome contains 11,327 protein-coding genes. The number of genes and genome size of S. shiraiana are similar to most other Ascomycetes. The cross-similarities and differences of S. shiraiana with the closely related Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Botrytis cinerea indicated that S. shiraiana differentiated earlier from their common ancestor. A comparative genomic analysis showed that S. shiraiana has fewer genes encoding cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) and effector proteins than that of S. sclerotiorum and B. cinerea, as well as many other Ascomycetes. This is probably a key factor in the weaker aggressiveness of S. shiraiana to other plants. S. shiraiana has many species-specific genes encoding secondary metabolism core enzymes. The diversity of secondary metabolites may be related to the adaptation of these pathogens to specific ecological niches. However, melanin and oxalic acid are conserved metabolites among many Sclerotiniaceae fungi, and may be essential for survival and infection. Our results provide insights into the narrow host range of S. shiraiana and its adaptation to mulberries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Florian Tagini ◽  
Trestan Pillonel ◽  
Claire Bertelli ◽  
Katia Jaton ◽  
Gilbert Greub

The Mycobacterium kansasii species comprises six subtypes that were recently classified into six closely related species; Mycobacterium kansasii (formerly M. kansasii subtype 1), Mycobacterium persicum (subtype 2), Mycobacterium pseudokansasii (subtype 3), Mycobacterium ostraviense (subtype 4), Mycobacterium innocens (subtype 5) and Mycobacterium attenuatum (subtype 6). Together with Mycobacterium gastri, they form the M. kansasii complex. M. kansasii is the most frequent and most pathogenic species of the complex. M. persicum is classically associated with diseases in immunosuppressed patients, and the other species are mostly colonizers, and are only very rarely reported in ill patients. Comparative genomics was used to assess the genetic determinants leading to the pathogenicity of members of the M. kansasii complex. The genomes of 51 isolates collected from patients with and without disease were sequenced and compared with 24 publicly available genomes. The pathogenicity of each isolate was determined based on the clinical records or public metadata. A comparative genomic analysis showed that all M. persicum, M. ostraviense, M innocens and M. gastri isolates lacked the ESX-1-associated EspACD locus that is thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis and other non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Furthermore, M. kansasii was the only species exhibiting a 25-Kb-large genomic island encoding for 17 type-VII secretion system-associated proteins. Finally, a genome-wide association analysis revealed that two consecutive genes encoding a hemerythrin-like protein and a nitroreductase-like protein were significantly associated with pathogenicity. These two genes may be involved in the resistance to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, a required mechanism for the intracellular survival of bacteria. Three non-pathogenic M. kansasii lacked these genes likely due to two distinct distributive conjugal transfers (DCTs) between M. attenuatum and M. kansasii, and one DCT between M. persicum and M. kansasii. To our knowledge, this is the first study linking DCT to reduced pathogenicity.


Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Despoina Konstantinou ◽  
Rafael V. Popin ◽  
David P. Fewer ◽  
Kaarina Sivonen ◽  
Spyros Gkelis

Sponges form symbiotic relationships with diverse and abundant microbial communities. Cyanobacteria are among the most important members of the microbial communities that are associated with sponges. Here, we performed a genus-wide comparative genomic analysis of the newly described marine benthic cyanobacterial genus Leptothoe (Synechococcales). We obtained draft genomes from Le. kymatousa TAU-MAC 1615 and Le. spongobia TAU-MAC 1115, isolated from marine sponges. We identified five additional Leptothoe genomes, host-associated or free-living, using a phylogenomic approach, and the comparison of all genomes showed that the sponge-associated strains display features of a symbiotic lifestyle. Le. kymatousa and Le. spongobia have undergone genome reduction; they harbored considerably fewer genes encoding for (i) cofactors, vitamins, prosthetic groups, pigments, proteins, and amino acid biosynthesis; (ii) DNA repair; (iii) antioxidant enzymes; and (iv) biosynthesis of capsular and extracellular polysaccharides. They have also lost several genes related to chemotaxis and motility. Eukaryotic-like proteins, such as ankyrin repeats, playing important roles in sponge-symbiont interactions, were identified in sponge-associated Leptothoe genomes. The sponge-associated Leptothoe stains harbored biosynthetic gene clusters encoding novel natural products despite genome reduction. Comparisons of the biosynthetic capacities of Leptothoe with chemically rich cyanobacteria revealed that Leptothoe is another promising marine cyanobacterium for the biosynthesis of novel natural products.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1344
Author(s):  
Naima Lemjiber ◽  
Khalid Naamani ◽  
Annabelle Merieau ◽  
Abdelhi Dihazi ◽  
Nawal Zhar ◽  
...  

Bacterial burn is one of the major diseases affecting pear trees worldwide, with serious impacts on producers and economy. In Morocco, several pear trees (Pyrus communis) have shown leaf burns since 2015. To characterize the causal agent of this disease, we isolated fourteen bacterial strains from different parts of symptomatic pear trees (leaves, shoots, fruits and flowers) that were tested in planta for their pathogenicity on Louise bonne and Williams cultivars. The results showed necrotic lesions with a significant severity range from 47.63 to 57.77% on leaves of the Louise bonne cultivar inoculated with isolate B10, while the other bacterial isolates did not induce any disease symptom. 16S rRNA gene sequencing did not allow robust taxonomic discrimination of the incriminated isolate. Thus, we conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and phylogenetic analyzes based on gyrA, gyrB and cdaA gene sequences, indicating that this isolate belongs to the Bacillus altitudinis species. This taxonomic classification was further confirmed by the Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and the in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (isDDH) analyzes compared to sixty-five Bacillus spp. type strains. The genome was mined for genes encoding carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) known to play a role in the vegetal tissue degradation. 177 candidates with functions that may support the in planta phytopathogenicity results were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first data reporting B. altitudinis as agent of leaf burn in P. communis in Morocco. Our dataset will improve our knowledge on spread and pathogenicity of B. altitudinis genotypes that appears as emergent phytopathogenic agent, unveiling virulence factors and their genomic location (i.e., within genomic islands or the accessory genome) to induce trees disease.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. S77-S78
Author(s):  
D.H. Ryu ◽  
S.W. Lee ◽  
S.J. Lee ◽  
H. Jeong ◽  
C.H. Lee ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (5) ◽  
pp. 1856-1865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami S. A. Ashgar ◽  
Neil J. Oldfield ◽  
Karl G. Wooldridge ◽  
Michael A. Jones ◽  
Greg J. Irving ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Two putative autotransporter proteins, CapA and CapB, were identified in silico from the genome sequence of Campylobacter jejuni NCTC11168. The genes encoding each protein contain homopolymeric tracts, suggestive of phase variation mediated by a slipped-strand mispairing mechanism; in each case the gene sequence contained frameshifts at these positions. The C-terminal two-thirds of the two genes, as well as a portion of the predicted signal peptides, were identical; the remaining N-terminal portions were gene specific. Both genes were cloned and expressed; recombinant polypeptides were purified and used to raise rabbit polyclonal monospecific antisera. Using immunoblotting, expression of the ca.116-kDa CapA protein was demonstrated for in vitro-grown cells of strain NCTC11168, for 4 out of 11 recent human fecal isolates, and for 2 out of 8 sequence-typed strains examined. Expression of CapB was not detected for any of the strains tested. Surface localization of CapA was demonstrated by subcellular fractionation and immunogold electron microscopy. Export of CapA was inhibited by globomycin, reinforcing the bioinformatic prediction that the protein is a lipoprotein. A capA insertion mutant had a significantly reduced capacity for association with and invasion of Caco-2 cells and failed to colonize and persist in chickens, indicating that CapA plays a role in host association and colonization by Campylobacter. In view of this demonstrated role, we propose that CapA stands for Campylobacter adhesion protein A.


mBio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingbo Shen ◽  
Zuowei Wu ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
Rong Zhang ◽  
Hong-Wei Zhou ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe recent emergence of a transferable colistin resistance mechanism, MCR-1, has gained global attention because of its threat to clinical treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. However, the possible transmission route ofmcr-1amongEnterobacteriaceaespecies in clinical settings is largely unknown. Here, we present a comprehensive genomic analysis ofEscherichia coliisolates collected in a hospital in Hangzhou, China. We found thatmcr-1-carrying isolates from clinical infections and feces of inpatients and healthy volunteers were genetically diverse and were not closely related phylogenetically, suggesting that clonal expansion is not involved in the spread ofmcr-1. Themcr-1gene was found on either chromosomes or plasmids, but in most of theE. coliisolates,mcr-1was carried on plasmids. The genetic context of the plasmids showed considerable diversity as evidenced by the different functional insertion sequence (IS) elements, toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems, heavy metal resistance determinants, and Rep proteins of broad-host-range plasmids. Additionally, the genomic analysis revealed nosocomial transmission ofmcr-1and the coexistence ofmcr-1with other genes encoding β-lactamases and fluoroquinolone resistance in theE. coliisolates. These findings indicate thatmcr-1is heterogeneously disseminated in both commensal and pathogenic strains ofE. coli, suggest the high flexibility of this gene in its association with diverse genetic backgrounds of the hosts, and provide new insights into the genome epidemiology ofmcr-1among hospital-associatedE. colistrains.IMPORTANCEColistin represents one of the very few available drugs for treating infections caused by extensively multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The recently emergentmcr-1colistin resistance gene threatens the clinical utility of colistin and has gained global attention. Howmcr-1spreads in hospital settings remains unknown and was investigated by whole-genome sequencing ofmcr-1-carryingEscherichia coliin this study. The findings revealed extraordinary flexibility ofmcr-1in its spread among genetically diverseE. colihosts and plasmids, nosocomial transmission ofmcr-1-carryingE. coli, and the continuous emergence of novel Inc types of plasmids carryingmcr-1and newmcr-1variants. Additionally,mcr-1was found to be frequently associated with other genes encoding β-lactams and fluoroquinolone resistance. These findings provide important information on the transmission and epidemiology ofmcr-1and are of significant public health importance as the information is expected to facilitate the control of this significant antibiotic resistance threat.


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