Genomic Analyses of Bifidobacterium moukalabense Reveal Adaptations to Frugivore/Folivore Feeding Behavior

Despite the essential role of Bifidobacterium in health-promoting gut bacteria in humans, little is known about their functions in wild animals, especially non-human primates. It is difficult to determine in vivo the function of Bifidobacterium in wild animals due to the limited accessibility of studying target animals in natural conditions. However, the genomic characteristics of Bifidobacterium obtained from the feces of wild animals can provide insight into their functionality in the gut. Here, we analyzed the whole genomes of 12 B. moukalabense strains isolated from seven feces samples of wild western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), three samples of wild central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) and two samples of wild forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. In addition, we analyzed the fecal bacterial communities of six wild western lowland gorillas by meta 16S rRNA gene analyses with next generation sequencing. Although the abundance of the genus Bifidobacterium was as low as 0.2% in the total reads, a whole genome analysis of B. moukalabense suggested its contribution digestion of food and nutrition of frugivore/folivore animals. Specifically, the whole genome analysis indicated the involvement of B. moukalabense in hemicellulose degradation for short chain fatty acid production and nucleic acid utilization as nitrogen resources. In comparison with human-associated Bifidobacterium spp., genes for carbohydrate transport and metabolism are not conserved in these wild species. In particular the glycosidases, which are found in all 12 strains of B. moukalabense, were variably detected, or not detected, in human-associated species.

Download Full-text

Massilia Cellulosiltytica Sp. Nov., A Novel Cellulose-degrading Bacterium Isolated from Rhizosphere Soil of Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) and whole Genome Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-365797/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chuanjiao Du ◽

Chenxu Li ◽

Peng Cao ◽

Tingting Li ◽

Dandan Du ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

16S Rrna Gene ◽

Genome Analysis ◽

Rhizosphere Soil ◽

Oryza Sativa L ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Whole Genome Analysis ◽

North East ◽

Degrading Bacterium

Abstract A bacterial strain, Gram-stain negative, rod-shaped, aerobic and cellulose-degrading, designated NEAU-DD11T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of rice collected from Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, North-east China. Base on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain NEAU-DD11T belongs to the genus Massilia and shared high sequence similarities with Massilia phosphatilytica 12-OD1T (98.46 %) and Massilia putida 6NM-7T (98.41 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequences indicated that strain NEAU-DD11T formed a stable cluster with M. phosphatilytica 12-OD1T and M. putida 6NM-7T. The major fatty acids of the strain were C16:0, C17:0-cyclo and C16:1ω7c. The respiratory quinone was Q-8. The polar lipids profile of the strain showed the presence of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified polar lipid and an unidentified phospholipid. In addition, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain NEAU-DD11T and M. phosphatilytica 12-OD1T and M. putida 6NM-7T were 45.4% and 35.6%, respectively, which are lower than the accepted threshold value of 70%. The DNA G + C content of strain NEAU-DD11T was 66.2 %. The whole genome analysis showed the strain contained carbohydrate enzymes such as glycoside hydrolase and polysaccharide lyase, which enabled the strain to had the function of degrading cellulose. On the basis of the phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain NEAU-DD11T represents a novel species of the genus Massilia, for which the name Massilia cellulosiltytica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-DD11T (= CCTCC AB 2019141T = DSM 109721T).

Download Full-text

Inference of Gorilla demographic and selective history from whole genome sequence data

10.1101/009191 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Kimberly F. McManus ◽

Joanna L. Kelley ◽

Shiya Song ◽

Krishna Veeramah ◽

August E. Woerner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sequence Data ◽

Gorilla Gorilla ◽

Ancestral Population ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Similar Data ◽

Cross River ◽

History Of ◽

Western Lowland Gorillas ◽

Genomic Regions ◽

Lowland Gorillas

While population-level genomic sequence data have been gathered extensively for humans, similar data from our closest living relatives are just beginning to emerge. Examination of genomic variation within great apes offers many opportunities to increase our understanding of the forces that have differentially shaped the evolutionary history of hominid taxa. Here, we expand upon the work of the Great Ape Genome Project by analyzing medium to high coverage whole genome sequences from 14 western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), 2 eastern lowland gorillas (G. beringei graueri), and a single Cross River individual (G. gorilla diehli). We infer that the ancestors of western and eastern lowland gorillas diverged from a common ancestor ~261 thousand years ago (kya), and that the ancestors of the Cross River population diverged from the western lowland gorilla lineage ~68 kya. Using a diffusion approximation approach to model the genome-wide site frequency spectrum, we infer a history of western lowland gorillas that includes an ancestral population expansion of ~1.4-fold around ~970 kya and a recent ~5.6-fold contraction in population size ~23 kya. The latter may correspond to a major reduction in African equatorial forests around the Last Glacial Maximum. We also analyze patterns of variation among western lowland gorillas to identify several genomic regions with strong signatures of recent selective sweeps. We find that processes related to taste, pancreatic and saliva secretion, sodium ion transmembrane transport, and cardiac muscle function are overrepresented in genomic regions predicted to have experienced recent positive selection.

Download Full-text

Safety Assessment of a Nham Starter Culture Lactobacillus plantarum BCC9546 via Whole-genome Analysis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-66857-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nipa Chokesajjawatee ◽

Pannita Santiyanont ◽

Kanittha Chantarasakha ◽

Kanokarn Kocharin ◽

Chinae Thammarongtham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lactobacillus Plantarum ◽

Genome Analysis ◽

Safety Assessment ◽

Starter Culture ◽

Whole Genome Sequence ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Whole Genome ◽

Whole Genome Analysis ◽

Microbial Cultures

Abstract The safety of microbial cultures utilized for consumption is vital for public health and should be thoroughly assessed. Although general aspects on the safety assessment of microbial cultures have been suggested, no methodological detail nor procedural guideline have been published. Herein, we propose a detailed protocol on microbial strain safety assessment via whole-genome sequence analysis. A starter culture employed in traditional fermented pork production, nham, namely Lactobacillus plantarum BCC9546, was used as an example. The strain’s whole-genome was sequenced through several next-generation sequencing techniques. Incomplete plasmid information from the PacBio sequencing platform and shorter chromosome size from the hybrid Oxford Nanopore-Illumina platform were noted. The methods for 1) unambiguous species identification using 16S rRNA gene and average nucleotide identity, 2) determination of virulence factors and undesirable genes, 3) determination of antimicrobial resistance properties and their possibility of transfer, and 4) determination of antimicrobial drug production capability of the strain were provided in detail. Applicability of the search tools and limitations of databases were discussed. Finally, a procedural guideline for the safety assessment of microbial strains via whole-genome analysis was proposed.

Download Full-text