# | Rank | Similarity | Title + Abs. | Year | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8445 | 0 | 0.9899 | A genome-wide association study in catfish reveals the presence of functional hubs of related genes within QTLs for columnaris disease resistance. BACKGROUND: Columnaris causes severe mortalities among many different wild and cultured freshwater fish species, but understanding of host resistance is lacking. Catfish, the primary aquaculture species in the United States, serves as a great model for the analysis of host resistance against columnaris disease. Channel catfish in general is highly resistant to the disease while blue catfish is highly susceptible. F2 generation of hybrids can be produced where phenotypes and genotypes are segregating, providing a useful system for QTL analysis. To identify genes associated with columnaris resistance, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the catfish 250 K SNP array with 340 backcross progenies derived from crossing female channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) with male F1 hybrid catfish (female channel catfish I. punctatus × male blue catfish I. furcatus). RESULTS: A genomic region on linkage group 7 was found to be significantly associated with columnaris resistance. Within this region, five have known functions in immunity, including pik3r3b, cyld-like, adcyap1r1, adcyap1r1-like, and mast2. In addition, 3 additional suggestively associated QTL regions were identified on linkage groups 7, 12, and 14. The resistant genotypes on the QTLs of linkage groups 7 and 12 were found to be homozygous with both alleles being derived from channel catfish. The paralogs of the candidate genes in the suggestively associated QTL of linkage group 12 were found on the QTLs of linkage group 7. Many candidate genes on the four associated regions are involved in PI3K pathway that is known to be required by many bacteria for efficient entry into the host. CONCLUSION: The GWAS revealed four QTLs associated with columnaris resistance in catfish. Strikingly, the candidate genes may be arranged as functional hubs; the candidate genes within the associated QTLs on linkage groups 7 and 12 are not only co-localized, but also functionally related, with many of them being involved in the PI3K signal transduction pathway, suggesting its importance for columnaris resistance. | 2015 | 25888203 |
| 5143 | 1 | 0.9894 | Genomic Insights Into the Pathogenicity of a Novel Biofilm-Forming Enterococcus sp. Bacteria (Enterococcus lacertideformus) Identified in Reptiles. Whole genome analysis of a novel species of enterococci, Enterococcus lacertideformus, causing multi-systemic and invariably fatal disease in critically endangered Christmas Island reptiles was undertaken to determine the genetic elements and potential mechanisms conferring its pathogenic nature, biofilm-forming capabilities, immune recognition avoidance, and inability to grow in vitro. Comparative genomic analyses with related and clinically significant enterococci were further undertaken to infer the evolutionary history of the bacterium and identify genes both novel and absent. The genome had a G + C content of 35.1%, consisted of a circular chromosome, no plasmids, and was 2,419,934 bp in length (2,321 genes, 47 tRNAs, and 13 rRNAs). Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of multiple E. lacertideformus samples revealed they were effectively indistinguishable from one another and highly clonal. E. lacertideformus was found to be located within the Enterococcus faecium species clade and was closely related to Enterococcus villorum F1129D based on 16S rDNA and MLST house-keeping gene analysis. Antimicrobial resistance (DfreE, EfrB, tetM, bcrRABD, and sat4) and virulence genes (Fss3 and ClpP), and genes conferring tolerance to metals and biocides (n = 9) were identified. The detection of relatively few genes encoding antimicrobial resistance and virulence indicates that this bacterium may have had no exposure to recently developed and clinically significant antibiotics. Genes potentially imparting beneficial functional properties were identified, including prophages, insertion elements, integrative conjugative elements, and genomic islands. Functional CRISPR-Cas arrays, and a defective prophage region were identified in the genome. The study also revealed many genomic loci unique to E. lacertideformus which contained genes enriched in cell wall/membrane/envelop biogenesis, and carbohydrate metabolism and transport functionality. This finding and the detection of putative enterococcal biofilm determinants (EfaAfs, srtC, and scm) may underpin the novel biofilm phenotype observed for this bacterium. Comparative analysis of E. lacertideformus with phylogenetically related and clinically significant enterococci (E. villorum F1129D, Enterococcus hirae R17, E. faecium AUS0085, and Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF) revealed an absence of genes (n = 54) in E. lacertideformus, that encode metabolic functionality, which potentially hinders nutrient acquisition and/or utilization by the bacterium and precludes growth in vitro. These data provide genetic insights into the previously determined phenotype and pathogenic nature of the bacterium. | 2021 | 33737921 |
| 6123 | 2 | 0.9893 | Genomic analysis of a hop-resistance Lactobacillus brevis strain responsible for food spoilage and capable of entering into the VBNC state. BACKGROUND: Lactobacillus brevis is a major contaminant of spoiled beer. And it was able to enter VBNC state and cause false negative detection, which poses a major challenge to the brewing industry. METHODS: The genomic DNA of L. brevis BM-LB13908 was extracted and purified to form a sequencing library that meets the quality requirements and was sequenced. The sequencing results were then screened and assembled to obtain the entire genome sequence of L. brevis. Predicted genes were annotated by GO database, KEGG pathway database and COG functional classification system. RESULTS: The final assembly yielded 275 scaffolds of a total length of 2 840 080 bp with a G + C content of 53.35%. There were 2357, 701, 1519 predicted genes with corresponding GO functional, COG functional, and KEGG biological pathway annotations, respectively. The genome of L. brevis BM-LB13908 contains hop resistance gene horA and multiple genes related to the formation of VBNC state. CONCLUSIONS: This report describes the draft genome sequence of L. brevis BM-LB13908, a spoilage strain isolated from finished beer sample. This study may support further study on L. brevis and other beer spoilage bacteria, and prevent and control beer spoilage caused by microorganisms. | 2020 | 32272213 |
| 5163 | 3 | 0.9892 | Multi-omics data elucidate parasite-host-microbiota interactions and resistance to Haemonchus contortus in sheep. BACKGROUND: The integration of molecular data from hosts, parasites, and microbiota can enhance our understanding of the complex biological interactions underlying the resistance of hosts to parasites. Haemonchus contortus, the predominant sheep gastrointestinal parasite species in the tropics, causes significant production and economic losses, which are further compounded by the diminishing efficiency of chemical control owing to anthelmintic resistance. Knowledge of how the host responds to infection and how the parasite, in combination with microbiota, modulates host immunity can guide selection decisions to breed animals with improved parasite resistance. This understanding will help refine management practices and advance the development of new therapeutics for long-term helminth control. METHODS: Eggs per gram (EPG) of feces were obtained from Morada Nova sheep subjected to two artificial infections with H. contortus and used as a proxy to select animals with high resistance or susceptibility for transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of the abomasum and 50 K single-nucleotide genotyping. Additionally, RNA-seq data for H. contortus were generated, and amplicon sequence variants (ASV) were obtained using polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S ribosomal RNA genes from sheep feces and rumen content. RESULTS: The heritability estimate for EPG was 0.12. GAST, GNLY, IL13, MGRN1, FGF14, and RORC genes and transcripts were differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible animals. A genome-wide association study identified regions on chromosomes 2 and 11 that harbor candidate genes for resistance, immune response, body weight, and adaptation. Trans-expression quantitative trait loci were found between significant variants and differentially expressed transcripts. Functional co-expression modules based on sheep genes and ASVs correlated with resistance to H. contortus, showing enrichment in pathways of response to bacteria, immune and inflammatory responses, and hub features of the Christensenellaceae, Bacteroides, and Methanobrevibacter genera; Prevotellaceae family; and Verrucomicrobiota phylum. In H. contortus, some mitochondrial, collagen-, and cuticle-related genes were expressed only in parasites isolated from susceptible sheep. CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified chromosome regions, genes, transcripts, and pathways involved in the elaborate interactions between the sheep host, its gastrointestinal microbiota, and the H. contortus parasite. These findings will assist in the development of animal selection strategies for parasite resistance and interdisciplinary approaches to control H. contortus infection in sheep. | 2024 | 38429820 |
| 5802 | 4 | 0.9891 | Dissecting vancomycin-intermediate resistance in staphylococcus aureus using genome-wide association. Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) is currently defined as having minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4-8 µg/ml. VISA evolves through changes in multiple genetic loci with at least 16 candidate genes identified in clinical and in vitro-selected VISA strains. We report a whole-genome comparative analysis of 49 vancomycin-sensitive S. aureus and 26 VISA strains. Resistance to vancomycin was determined by broth microdilution, Etest, and population analysis profile-area under the curve (PAP-AUC). Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 55,977 single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified in one or more strains found one highly significant association (P = 8.78 E-08) between a nonsynonymous mutation at codon 481 (H481) of the rpoB gene and increased vancomycin MIC. Additionally, we used a database of public S. aureus genome sequences to identify rare mutations in candidate genes associated with VISA. On the basis of these data, we proposed a preliminary model called ECM+RMCG for the VISA phenotype as a benchmark for future efforts. The model predicted VISA based on the presence of a rare mutation in a set of candidate genes (walKR, vraSR, graSR, and agrA) and/or three previously experimentally verified mutations (including the rpoB H481 locus) with an accuracy of 81% and a sensitivity of 73%. Further, the level of resistance measured by both Etest and PAP-AUC regressed positively with the number of mutations present in a strain. This study demonstrated 1) the power of GWAS for identifying common genetic variants associated with antibiotic resistance in bacteria and 2) that rare mutations in candidate gene, identified using large genomic data sets, can also be associated with resistance phenotypes. | 2014 | 24787619 |
| 8443 | 5 | 0.9891 | Large-scale bioinformatic analysis of the regulation of the disease resistance NBS gene family by microRNAs in Poaceae. In the present study, we have screened 71, 713, 525, 119 and 241 mature miRNA variants from Hordeum vulgare, Oryza sativa, Brachypodium distachyon, Triticum aestivum, and Sorghum bicolor, respectively, and classified them with respect to their conservation status and expression levels. These Poaceae non-redundant miRNA species (1,669) were distributed over a total of 625 MIR families, among which only 54 were conserved across two or more plant species, confirming the relatively recent evolutionary differentiation of miRNAs in grasses. On the other hand, we have used 257 H. vulgare, 286T. aestivum, 119 B. distachyon, 269 O. sativa, and 139 S. bicolor NBS domains, which were either mined directly from the annotated proteomes, or predicted from whole genome sequence assemblies. The hybridization potential between miRNAs and their putative NBS genes targets was analyzed, revealing that at least 454 NBS genes from all five Poaceae were potentially regulated by 265 distinct miRNA species, most of them expressed in leaves and predominantly co-expressed in additional tissues. Based on gene ontology, we could assign these probable miRNA target genes to 16 functional groups, among which three conferring resistance to bacteria (Rpm1, Xa1 and Rps2), and 13 groups of resistance to fungi (Rpp8,13, Rp3, Tsn1, Lr10, Rps1-k-1, Pm3, Rpg5, and MLA1,6,10,12,13). The results of the present analysis provide a large-scale platform for a better understanding of biological control strategies of disease resistance genes in Poaceae, and will serve as an important starting point for enhancing crop disease resistance improvement by means of transgenic lines with artificial miRNAs. | 2016 | 27349470 |
| 5166 | 6 | 0.9890 | Illegitimate recombination: an efficient method for random mutagenesis in Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis. BACKGROUND: The genus Mycobacterium (M.) comprises highly pathogenic bacteria such as M. tuberculosis as well as environmental opportunistic bacteria called non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). While the incidence of tuberculosis is declining in the developed world, infection rates by NTM are increasing. NTM are ubiquitous and have been isolated from soil, natural water sources, tap water, biofilms, aerosols, dust and sawdust. Lung infections as well as lymphadenitis are most often caused by M. avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH), which is considered to be among the clinically most important NTM. Only few virulence genes from M. avium have been defined among other things due to difficulties in generating M. avium mutants. More efforts in developing new methods for mutagenesis of M. avium and identification of virulence-associated genes are therefore needed. RESULTS: We developed a random mutagenesis method based on illegitimate recombination and integration of a Hygromycin-resistance marker. Screening for mutations possibly affecting virulence was performed by monitoring of pH resistance, colony morphology, cytokine induction in infected macrophages and intracellular persistence. Out of 50 randomly chosen Hygromycin-resistant colonies, four revealed to be affected in virulence-related traits. The mutated genes were MAV_4334 (nitroreductase family protein), MAV_5106 (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), MAV_1778 (GTP-binding protein LepA) and MAV_3128 (lysyl-tRNA synthetase LysS). CONCLUSIONS: We established a random mutagenesis method for MAH that can be easily carried out and combined it with a set of phenotypic screening methods for the identification of virulence-associated mutants. By this method, four new MAH genes were identified that may be involved in virulence. | 2012 | 22966811 |
| 2484 | 7 | 0.9889 | Multilocus sequence typing analysis and second-generation sequencing analysis of Salmonella Wandsworth. BACKGROUND: Salmonella Wandsworth is a rare serotype of Salmonella. This study analyzed the genotyping, genome structure, and molecular biological functions of Salmonella Wandsworth based on the results of multilocus sequence typing and next-generation sequencing genome assembly analysis. METHODS: Serological typing was performed using the slide-agglutination method. The micro broth dilution method was used to test antibiotic susceptibility. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to perform the homology analysis, while the second-generation sequencing genome analysis was used to analyze the whole genome of the bacteria. RESULTS: Salmonella Wandsworth is Group Q Salmonella. The MLST of this strain was ST1498. Salmonella Wandsworth was sensitive to antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, imipenem, chloramphenicol, and colistin, but was resistant to ampicillin, cefalotin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin. The second-generation sequencing results showed that the genome sequence length of the bacteria was 5109457bp. Annotated COG library analysis generated 3,746 corresponding genes. After the comparison with the KEGG library, 1,340 genes, which participate in 19 types of metabolic pathways, were obtained. A total of 249 pathogenic factors and 2 disease islands were predicted. 2 CRISPR sites and 8 Cas sites were predicted. It can be seen from the evolutionary tree that Salmonella Wandsworth MLST1498 and Paratyphi B str.SPB7 are gathered together. We identified one resistance gene, namely, aac(6')-Iaa accounting for aminoglycoside resistance. CONCLUSION: Salmonella Wandsworth isolated in this study is Salmonella group Q. Consequently, it is necessary to strengthen the understanding of clinical infections of Salmonella Wandsworth and carry out continuous monitoring and research. | 2021 | 34245607 |
| 5154 | 8 | 0.9888 | Genome analysis and virulence gene expression profile of a multi drug resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ms202. BACKGROUND: In India, multi-drug resistance in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium poses a significant health threat. Indeed, S. Typhimurium has remained unknown for a large portion of its genome associated with various physiological functions including mechanism of drug resistance and virulence. The whole-genome sequence of a Salmonella strain obtained from feces of a patient with gastroenteritis in Odisha, India, was analyzed for understanding the disease association and underlying virulence mechanisms. RESULTS: The de novo assembly yielded 17 contigs and showed 99.9% similarity to S. enterica sub sp enterica strain LT2 and S. enteric subsp salamae strain DSM 9220. S. Typhimurium ms202 strain constitutes six known Salmonella pathogenicity islands and nine different phages. The comparative interpretation of pathogenic islands displayed the genes contained in SPI-1 and SPI-2 to be highly conserved. We identified sit ABCD cluster regulatory cascade in SPI-1. Multiple antimicrobial resistance genes were identified that directly implies antibiotic-resistant phenotype. Notably, seven unique genes were identified as "acquired antibiotic resistance". These data suggest that virulence in S. enterica Typhimurium ms202 is associated with SPI-1 and SPI-2. Further, we found several virulent genes encoding SPI regions belonging to type III secretion systems (T3SS) of bacteria were significantly upregulated in ms202 compared to control LT2. Moreover, all these genes were significantly downregulated in S. enterica Typhimurium ms202 as compared to control LT2 on adding Mn(2+) exogenously. CONCLUSIONS: Our study raises a vital concern about the potential diffusion of a novel multi-drug resistant S. enterica Typhimurium ms202. It justifies this clinical pathogen to demonstrate a higher degree survival due to higher expression of virulent genes and enhanced ability of metallic ion acquisition. | 2022 | 35765034 |
| 5145 | 9 | 0.9888 | Genome sequence and comparative analysis of a putative entomopathogenic Serratia isolated from Caenorhabditis briggsae. BACKGROUND: Entomopathogenic associations between nematodes in the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabdus with their cognate bacteria from the bacterial genera Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus, respectively, are extensively studied for their potential as biological control agents against invasive insect species. These two highly coevolved associations were results of convergent evolution. Given the natural abundance of bacteria, nematodes and insects, it is surprising that only these two associations with no intermediate forms are widely studied in the entomopathogenic context. Discovering analogous systems involving novel bacterial and nematode species would shed light on the evolutionary processes involved in the transition from free living organisms to obligatory partners in entomopathogenicity. RESULTS: We report the complete genome sequence of a new member of the enterobacterial genus Serratia that forms a putative entomopathogenic complex with Caenorhabditis briggsae. Analysis of the 5.04 MB chromosomal genome predicts 4599 protein coding genes, seven sets of ribosomal RNA genes, 84 tRNA genes and a 64.8 KB plasmid encoding 74 genes. Comparative genomic analysis with three of the previously sequenced Serratia species, S. marcescens DB11 and S. proteamaculans 568, and Serratia sp. AS12, revealed that these four representatives of the genus share a core set of ~3100 genes and extensive structural conservation. The newly identified species shares a more recent common ancestor with S. marcescens with 99% sequence identity in rDNA sequence and orthology across 85.6% of predicted genes. Of the 39 genes/operons implicated in the virulence, symbiosis, recolonization, immune evasion and bioconversion, 21 (53.8%) were present in Serratia while 33 (84.6%) and 35 (89%) were present in Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus EPN bacteria respectively. CONCLUSION: The majority of unique sequences in Serratia sp. SCBI (South African Caenorhabditis briggsae Isolate) are found in ~29 genomic islands of 5 to 65 genes and are enriched in putative functions that are biologically relevant to an entomopathogenic lifestyle, including non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, bacteriocins, fimbrial biogenesis, ushering proteins, toxins, secondary metabolite secretion and multiple drug resistance/efflux systems. By revealing the early stages of adaptation to this lifestyle, the Serratia sp. SCBI genome underscores the fact that in EPN formation the composite end result - killing, bioconversion, cadaver protection and recolonization- can be achieved by dissimilar mechanisms. This genome sequence will enable further study of the evolution of entomopathogenic nematode-bacteria complexes. | 2015 | 26187596 |
| 6124 | 10 | 0.9888 | Comparative analysis of spleen transcriptome detects differences in evolutionary adaptation of immune defense functions in bighead carp and silver carp. The evolutionary divergence of the immune defense functions in bighead carp (A. nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) is still not understood at the molecular level. Here, we obtained 48,821,754 and 55,054,480 clean reads from spleen tissue libraries prepared for bighead carp and silver carp using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology, respectively, and identified 4976 orthologous genes from the transcriptome data sets by comparative analysis. Adaptive evolutionary analysis showed that 212 orthologous genes and 255 Gene Ontology (GO) terms were subjected to positive selection(Ka/Ks values > 1) only in bighead carp, and 195 orthologous genes and 309 GO terms only in silver carp. Among immune defense functions with significant evolutionary divergence, the positively selected biological processes in bighead carp mainly included B cell-mediated immunity, chemokine-mediated signaling pathway, and immunoglobulin mediated immune response, whereas those in silver carp mainly included the antigen processing and presentation, defense response to fungus, and detection of bacteria. Moreover, we found 2974 genes expressed only in spleen of bighead carp and 3494 genes expressed only in spleen of silver carp, where these genes were mostly enriched in the same biological processes or pathways. These results provide a better understanding of the differences in resistance to some diseases by bighead carp and silver carp, and also facilitate the identification of candidate genes related to disease resistance. | 2019 | 30287346 |
| 8444 | 11 | 0.9887 | Whole genome resequencing and complementation tests reveal candidate loci contributing to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia sp.) resistance in tomato. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most economically important vegetable crops worldwide. Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, has been reported as the second most important plant pathogenic bacteria worldwide, and likely the most destructive. Extensive research has identified two major loci, Bwr-6 and Bwr-12, that contribute to resistance to BW in tomato; however, these loci do not completely explain resistance. Segregation of resistance in two populations that were homozygous dominant or heterozygous for all Bwr-6 and Bwr-12 associated molecular markers suggested the action of one or two resistance loci in addition to these two major QTLs. We utilized whole genome sequence data analysis and pairwise comparison of six BW resistant and nine BW susceptible tomato lines to identify candidate genes that, in addition to Bwr-6 and Bwr-12, contributed to resistance. Through this approach we found 27,046 SNPs and 5975 indels specific to the six resistant lines, affecting 385 genes. One sequence variant on chromosome 3 captured by marker Bwr3.2dCAPS located in the Asc (Solyc03g114600.4.1) gene had significant association with resistance, but it did not completely explain the resistance phenotype. The SNP associated with Bwr3.2dCAPS was located within the resistance gene Asc which was inside the previously identified Bwr-3 locus. This study provides a foundation for further investigations into new loci distributed throughout the tomato genome that could contribute to BW resistance and into the role of resistance genes that may act against multiple pathogens. | 2022 | 35589778 |
| 1400 | 12 | 0.9887 | Comparative genomic analysis of Escherichia coli strains obtained from continuous imipenem stress evolution. The carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli has aroused increasing attention worldwide, especially in terms of imipenem (IMP) resistance. The molecular mechanism of IMP resistance remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the resistance mechanisms of IMP in E. coli. Susceptible Sx181-0-1 strain was induced into resistance strains by adaptive laboratory evolution. The drug resistance spectrum was measured using the disk diffusion and microbroth dilution methods. Whole-genome sequencing and resequencing were used to analyze the nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) between the primary susceptible strain and resistant strains. The expression levels of these genes with nsSNPs were identified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Resistance phenotype appeared in the induced 15th generation (induction time = 183 h). Sx181-32 and Sx181-256, which had the minimum inhibitory concentrations of IMP of 8 and 64 µg ml-1, were isolated during continuous subculture exposed to increasing concentrations of IMP, respectively. A total of 19 nsSNPs were observed both in Sx181-32 and Sx181-256, distributed in rpsU, sdaC, zwf, ttuC, araJ, dacC, mrdA, secF, dacD, lpxD, mrcB, ftsI, envZ, and two unknown function genes (orf01892 and orf01933). Among these 15 genes, five genes (dacC, mrdA, lpxD, mrcB, and ftsI) were mainly involved in cell wall synthesis. The mrdA (V338A, L378P, and M574I) and mrcB (P784L, A736V, and T708A) had three amino acid substitutions, respectively. The expression levels of rpsU, ttuC, and orf01933 were elevated in both Sx181-32 and Sx181-256 compared to Sx181-0-1. The expression levels of these genes were elevated in Sx181-256, except for araJ. Bacteria developed resistance to antimicrobials by regulating various biological processes, among which the most involved is the cell wall synthesis (dacC, mrdA, lpxD, mrcB, and ftsI). The combination mutations of mrdA, envZ, and ftsI genes may increase the resistance to IMP. Our study could improve the understanding of the molecular mechanism of IMP resistance in E. coli. | 2022 | 35147175 |
| 5162 | 13 | 0.9887 | Genomic identification and characterization of Streptococcus oralis group that causes intraamniotic infection. BACKGROUND: Intraamniotic infection is a cause of spontaneous preterm labor. Streptococcus mitis is a common pathogen identified in intraamniotic infection, with the possible route of hematogenous dissemination from the oral cavity or migration from the vaginal canal. However, there are a few reports on Streptococcus oralis, a member of the S. mitis group, as a cause of pathogen in intraamniotic infection. We reported herein whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of S. oralis strain RAOG5826 that causes intraamniotic infection. RESULTS: Streptococcus mitis was initially identified from amniotic fluid, vaginal swab, and fetal blood of a patient presenting with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes with intraamniotic infection by the use of conventional microbiological methods (biochemical phenotype, MALDI-ToF, 16 S rRNA). Subsequently, this strain was later identified as S. oralis RAOG5826 by whole-genome hybrid sequencing. Genes involved in macrolide and tetracycline resistance, namely ermB and tet(M), and mutations in penicillin-binding protein were present in the genome. Moreover, potential virulence genes were predicted and compared with other Streptococcal species. CONCLUSION: We reported a comprehensive genomic analysis of S. oralis, which causes intraamniotic infection. S. mitis was initially identified by conventional microbiological identification. However, whole-genome hybrid sequencing demonstrates S. oralis with complete profiles of antimicrobial resistance genes and potential virulence factors. This study highlights the limitations of traditional techniques and underscores the importance of genomic sequencing for accurate diagnosis and tailored antimicrobial treatment. The study also suggests that S. oralis may be an underestimated pathogen in intraamniotic infection. | 2025 | 41023353 |
| 2482 | 14 | 0.9887 | Prophages encoding human immune evasion cluster genes are enriched in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from chronic rhinosinusitis patients with nasal polyps. Prophages affect bacterial fitness on multiple levels. These include bacterial infectivity, toxin secretion, virulence regulation, surface modification, immune stimulation and evasion and microbiome competition. Lysogenic conversion arms bacteria with novel accessory functions thereby increasing bacterial fitness, host adaptation and persistence, and antibiotic resistance. These properties allow the bacteria to occupy a niche long term and can contribute to chronic infections and inflammation such as chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize prophages present in Staphylococcus aureus from patients suffering from CRS in relation to CRS disease phenotype and severity. Prophage regions were identified using PHASTER. Various in silico tools like ResFinder and VF Analyzer were used to detect virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes respectively. Progressive MAUVE and maximum likelihood were used for multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetics of prophages respectively. Disease severity of CRS patients was measured using computed tomography Lund-Mackay scores. Fifty-eight S. aureus clinical isolates (CIs) were obtained from 28 CRS patients without nasal polyp (CRSsNP) and 30 CRS patients with nasal polyp (CRSwNP). All CIs carried at least one prophage (average=3.6) and prophages contributed up to 7.7 % of the bacterial genome. Phage integrase genes were found in 55/58 (~95 %) S. aureus strains and 97/211 (~46 %) prophages. Prophages belonging to Sa3int integrase group (phiNM3, JS01, phiN315) (39/97, 40%) and Sa2int (phi2958PVL) (14/97, 14%) were the most prevalent prophages and harboured multiple virulence genes such as sak, scn, chp, lukE/D, sea. Intact prophages were more frequently identified in CRSwNP than in CRSsNP (P=0.0021). Intact prophages belonging to the Sa3int group were more frequent in CRSwNP than in CRSsNP (P=0.0008) and intact phiNM3 were exclusively found in CRSwNP patients (P=0.007). Our results expand the knowledge of prophages in S. aureus isolated from CRS patients and their possible role in disease development. These findings provide a platform for future investigations into potential tripartite associations between bacteria-prophage-human immune system, S. aureus evolution and CRS disease pathophysiology. | 2021 | 34907894 |
| 5199 | 15 | 0.9886 | Whole genome sequencing uncovers a novel IND-16 metallo-β-lactamase from an extensively drug-resistant Chryseobacterium indologenes strain J31. BACKGROUND: Chryseobacterium indologenes is an emerging opportunistic pathogen in hospital-acquired infection, which is intrinsically resistant to most antimicrobial agents against gram-negative bacteria. In the purpose of extending our understanding of the resistance mechanism of C. indologenes, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of an extensively antibiotic resistant C. indologenes strain, isolated from a Chinese prostate cancer patient. We also investigated the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, particularly metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) genes, and performed a comparative genomic analysis with other Chryseobacterium species. RESULTS: 16s rRNA sequencing indicated the isolate belongs to C. indologenes. We assembled a total of 1095M bp clean-filtered reads into 171 contigs by de novo assembly. The draft genome of C. indologenes J31 consisted of 5,830,795 bp with a GC content of 36.9 %. RAST analysis revealed the genome contained 5196 coding sequences (CDSs), 28 rRNAs, 81 tRNAs and 114 pseudogenes. We detected 90 antibiotic resistance genes from different drug classes in the whole genome. Notably, a novel bla(IND) allele bla(IND-16) was identified, which shared 99 % identity with bla(IND-8) and bla(IND-10). By comparing strain J31 genome to the closely four related neighbors in the genus Chryseobacterium, we identified 2634 conserved genes, and 1449 unique genes. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we described the whole genome sequence of C. indologenes strain J31. Numerous resistance determinants were detected in the genome and might be responsible for the extensively antibiotic resistance of this strain. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the presence of considerable strain-specific genes which would contribute to the distinctive characteristics of strain J31. Our study provides the insight of the multidrug resistance mechanism in genus Chryseobacterium. | 2016 | 27785154 |
| 5169 | 16 | 0.9886 | Genetic Adaptation and Acquisition of Macrolide Resistance in Haemophilus spp. during Persistent Respiratory Tract Colonization in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients Receiving Long-Term Azithromycin Treatment. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) benefit from the immunomodulatory effect of azithromycin, but long-term administration may alter colonizing bacteria. Our goal was to identify changes in Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae during azithromycin treatment. Fifteen patients were followed while receiving prolonged azithromycin treatment (Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Spain). Four patients (P02, P08, P11, and P13) were persistently colonized by H. influenzae for at least 3 months and two (P04 and P11) by H. parainfluenzae. Isolates from these patients (53 H. influenzae and 18 H. parainfluenzae) were included to identify, by whole-genome sequencing, antimicrobial resistance changes and genetic variation accumulated during persistent colonization. All persistent lineages isolated before treatment were azithromycin-susceptible but developed resistance within the first months, apart from those belonging to P02, who discontinued the treatment. H. influenzae isolates from P08-ST107 acquired mutations in 23S rRNA, and those from P11-ST2480 and P13-ST165 had changes in L4 and L22. In H. parainfluenzae, P04 persistent isolates acquired changes in rlmC, and P11 carried genes encoding MefE/MsrD efflux pumps in an integrative conjugative element, which was also identified in H. influenzae P11-ST147. Other genetic variation occurred in genes associated with cell wall and inorganic ion metabolism. Persistent H. influenzae strains all showed changes in licA and hgpB genes. Other genes (lex1, lic3A, hgpC, and fadL) had variation in multiple lineages. Furthermore, persistent strains showed loss, acquisition, or genetic changes in prophage-associated regions. Long-term azithromycin therapy results in macrolide resistance, as well as genetic changes that likely favor bacterial adaptation during persistent respiratory colonization. IMPORTANCE The immunomodulatory properties of azithromycin reduce the frequency of exacerbations and improve the quality of life of COPD patients. However, long-term administration may alter the respiratory microbiota, such as Haemophilus influenzae, an opportunistic respiratory colonizing bacteria that play an important role in exacerbations. This study contributes to a better understanding of COPD progression by characterizing the clinical evolution of H. influenzae in a cohort of patients with prolonged azithromycin treatment. The emergence of macrolide resistance during the first months, combined with the role of Haemophilus parainfluenzae as a reservoir and source of resistance dissemination, is a cause for concern that may lead to therapeutic failure. Furthermore, genetic variations in cell wall and inorganic ion metabolism coding genes likely favor bacterial adaptation to host selective pressures. Therefore, the bacterial pathoadaptive evolution in these severe COPD patients raise our awareness of the possible spread of macrolide resistance and selection of host-adapted clones. | 2023 | 36475849 |
| 9040 | 17 | 0.9886 | Gene expression changes linked to antimicrobial resistance, oxidative stress, iron depletion and retained motility are observed when Burkholderia cenocepacia grows in cystic fibrosis sputum. BACKGROUND: Bacteria from the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) are the only group of cystic fibrosis (CF) respiratory pathogens that may cause death by an invasive infection known as cepacia syndrome. Their large genome (> 7000 genes) and multiple pathways encoding the same putative functions make virulence factor identification difficult in these bacteria. METHODS: A novel microarray was designed to the genome of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 and transcriptomics used to identify genes that were differentially regulated when the pathogen was grown in a CF sputum-based infection model. Sputum samples from CF individuals infected with the same B. cenocepacia strain as genome isolate were used, hence, other than a dilution into a minimal growth medium (used as the control condition), no further treatment of the sputum was carried out. RESULTS: A total of 723 coding sequences were significantly altered, with 287 upregulated and 436 downregulated; the microarray-observed expression was validated by quantitative PCR on five selected genes. B. cenocepacia genes with putative functions in antimicrobial resistance, iron uptake, protection against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, secretion and motility were among the most altered in sputum. Novel upregulated genes included: a transmembrane ferric reductase (BCAL0270) implicated in iron metabolism, a novel protease (BCAL0849) that may play a role in host tissue destruction, an organic hydroperoxide resistance gene (BCAM2753), an oxidoreductase (BCAL1107) and a nitrite/sulfite reductase (BCAM1676) that may play roles in resistance to the host defenses. The assumptions of growth under iron-depletion and oxidative stress formulated from the microarray data were tested and confirmed by independent growth of B. cenocepacia under each respective environmental condition. CONCLUSION: Overall, our first full transcriptomic analysis of B. cenocepacia demonstrated the pathogen alters expression of over 10% of the 7176 genes within its genome when it grows in CF sputum. Novel genetic pathways involved in responses to antimicrobial resistance, oxidative stress, and iron metabolism were revealed by the microarray analysis. Virulence factors such as the cable pilus and Cenocepacia Pathogenicity Island were unaltered in expression. However, B. cenocepacia sustained or increased expression of motility-associated genes in sputum, maintaining a potentially invasive phenotype associated with cepacia syndrome. | 2008 | 18801206 |
| 5064 | 18 | 0.9886 | Functional Analysis of Genes Comprising the Locus of Heat Resistance in Escherichia coli. The locus of heat resistance (LHR) is a 15- to 19-kb genomic island conferring exceptional heat resistance to organisms in the family Enterobacteriaceae, including pathogenic strains of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli The complement of LHR-comprising genes that is necessary for heat resistance and the stress-induced or growth-phase-induced expression of LHR-comprising genes are unknown. This study determined the contribution of the seven LHR-comprising genes yfdX1(GI), yfdX2, hdeD(GI), orf11, trx(GI), kefB, and psiE(GI) by comparing the heat resistances of E. coli strains harboring plasmid-encoded derivatives of the different LHRs in these genes. (Genes carry a subscript "GI" [genomic island] if an ortholog of the same gene is present in genomes of E. coli) LHR-encoded heat shock proteins sHSP20, ClpK(GI), and sHSP(GI) are not sufficient for the heat resistance phenotype; YfdX1, YfdX2, and HdeD are necessary to complement the LHR heat shock proteins and to impart a high level of resistance. Deletion of trx(GI), kefB, and psiE(GI) from plasmid-encoded copies of the LHR did not significantly affect heat resistance. The effect of the growth phase and the NaCl concentration on expression from the putative LHR promoter p2 was determined by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and by a plasmid-encoded p2:GFP promoter fusion. The expression levels of exponential- and stationary-phase E. coli cells were not significantly different, but the addition of 1% NaCl significantly increased LHR expression. Remarkably, LHR expression in E. coli was dependent on a chromosomal copy of evgA In conclusion, this study improved our understanding of the genes required for exceptional heat resistance in E. coli and factors that increase their expression in food.IMPORTANCE The locus of heat resistance (LHR) is a genomic island conferring exceptional heat resistance to several foodborne pathogens. The exceptional level of heat resistance provided by the LHR questions the control of pathogens by current food processing and preparation techniques. The function of LHR-comprising genes and their regulation, however, remain largely unknown. This study defines a core complement of LHR-encoded proteins that are necessary for heat resistance and demonstrates that regulation of the LHR in E. coli requires a chromosomal copy of the gene encoding EvgA. This study provides insight into the function of a transmissible genomic island that allows otherwise heat-sensitive enteric bacteria, including pathogens, to lead a thermoduric lifestyle and thus contributes to the detection and control of heat-resistant enteric bacteria in food. | 2017 | 28802266 |
| 5147 | 19 | 0.9885 | Multiscale comparative pathogenomic analysis of Vibrio anguillarum linking serotype diversity, genomic plasticity and pathogenicity. Vibrio anguillarum is a major marine fish pathogen causing high mortality and potential zoonotic risks. Understanding its genomic diversity, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance is crucial for aquaculture disease management. In this study, a comparative pan-genomic analysis of 16 V. anguillarum strains was conducted to examine core and accessory genome diversity, virulence factors, and antibiotic resistance mechanisms. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted using six core genes and SNPs to evaluate evolutionary relationships and pathogenic traits. The core genome contained 2,038 unique ORFs, while the accessory genome had 5,197 cloud genes, confirming an open pangenome. This study identified 118 pathogenic genomic islands, antibiotic resistance genes (tetracycline, quinolone, and carbapenem), and virulence factors, including type VI secretion system (T6SS) components and RTX toxins (hcp-2, vipB/mglB, rtxC). Core genes such as ftsI uncovered substantial evolutionary divergence among species, identifying more than 150 distinct SNPs. Phylogenetic analysis showed serotype-specific clustering, with O1 strains displaying genetic homogeneity, whereas O2 and O3 exhibited divergence, suggesting distinct evolutionary adaptations influencing pathogenicity and ecological interactions. These findings provide primary insights for developing molecular markers and targeted treatments for aquaculture pathogens. | 2025 | 40854641 |