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Hanke DM, Wang Y, Dagan T. Pseudogenes in plasmid genomes reveal past transitions in plasmid mobility. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:7049-7062. [PMID: 38808675 PMCID: PMC11229322 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Evidence for gene non-functionalization due to mutational processes is found in genomes in the form of pseudogenes. Pseudogenes are known to be rare in prokaryote chromosomes, with the exception of lineages that underwent an extreme genome reduction (e.g. obligatory symbionts). Much less is known about the frequency of pseudogenes in prokaryotic plasmids; those are genetic elements that can transfer between cells and may encode beneficial traits for their host. Non-functionalization of plasmid-encoded genes may alter the plasmid characteristics, e.g. mobility, or their effect on the host. Analyzing 10 832 prokaryotic genomes, we find that plasmid genomes are characterized by threefold-higher pseudogene density compared to chromosomes. The majority of plasmid pseudogenes correspond to deteriorated transposable elements. A detailed analysis of enterobacterial plasmids furthermore reveals frequent gene non-functionalization events associated with the loss of plasmid self-transmissibility. Reconstructing the evolution of closely related plasmids reveals that non-functionalization of the conjugation machinery led to the emergence of non-mobilizable plasmid types. Examples are virulence plasmids in Escherichia and Salmonella. Our study highlights non-functionalization of core plasmid mobility functions as one route for the evolution of domesticated plasmids. Pseudogenes in plasmids supply insights into past transitions in plasmid mobility that are akin to transitions in bacterial lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin M Hanke
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Yiqing Wang
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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2
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Michalik A, C Franco D, Szklarzewicz T, Stroiński A, Łukasik P. Facultatively intrabacterial localization of a planthopper endosymbiont as an adaptation to its vertical transmission. mSystems 2024:e0063424. [PMID: 38934538 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00634-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Transovarial transmission is the most reliable way of passing on essential nutrient-providing endosymbionts from mothers to offspring. However, not all endosymbiotic microbes follow the complex path through the female host tissues to oocytes on their own. Here, we demonstrate an unusual transmission strategy adopted by one of the endosymbionts of the planthopper Trypetimorpha occidentalis (Hemiptera: Tropiduchidae) from Bulgaria. In this species, an Acetobacteraceae endosymbiont is transmitted transovarially within deep invaginations of cellular membranes of an ancient endosymbiont Sulcia-strikingly resembling recently described plant virus transmission. However, in males, Acetobacteraceae colonizes the same bacteriocytes as Sulcia but remains unenveloped. Then, the unusual endobacterial localization of Acetobacteraceae observed in females appears to be a unique adaptation to maternal transmission. Further, the symbiont's genomic features, including encoding essential amino acid biosynthetic pathways and its similarity to a recently described psyllid symbiont, suggest a unique combination of the ability to horizontally transmit among species and confer nutritional benefits. The close association with Acetobacteraceae symbiont correlates with the so-far-unreported level of genomic erosion of ancient nutritional symbionts of this planthopper. In Sulcia, this is reflected in substantial changes in genomic organization, reported for the first time in the symbiont renowned for its genomic stability. In Vidania, substantial gene loss resulted in one of the smallest genomes known, at 108.6 kb. Thus, the symbionts of T. occidentalis display a combination of unusual adaptations and genomic features that expand our understanding of how insect-microbe symbioses may transmit and evolve.IMPORTANCEReliable transmission across host generations is a major challenge for bacteria that associate with insects, and independently established symbionts have addressed this challenge in different ways. The facultatively endobacterial localization of Acetobacteraceae symbiont, enveloped by cells of ancient nutritional endosymbiont Sulcia in females but not males of the planthopper Trypetimorpha occidentalis, appears to be a unique adaptation to maternal transmission. Acetobacteraceae's genomic features indicate its unusual evolutionary history, and the genomic erosion experienced by ancient nutritional symbionts demonstrates the apparent consequences of such close association. Combined, this multi-partite symbiosis expands our understanding of the diversity of strategies that insect symbioses form and some of their evolutionary consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Michalik
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Diego C Franco
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Teresa Szklarzewicz
- Department of Developmental Biology and Morphology of Invertebrates, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Adam Stroiński
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Łukasik
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Chaudhari NM, Pérez-Carrascal OM, Overholt WA, Totsche KU, Küsel K. Genome streamlining in Parcubacteria transitioning from soil to groundwater. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2024; 19:41. [PMID: 38902796 PMCID: PMC11188291 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-024-00581-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To better understand the influence of habitat on the genetic content of bacteria, with a focus on members of Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) bacteria, we studied the effects of transitioning from soil via seepage waters to groundwater on genomic composition of ultra-small Parcubacteria, the dominating CPR class in seepage waters, using genome resolved metagenomics. RESULTS Bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), (318 total, 32 of Parcubacteria) were generated from seepage waters and compared directly to groundwater counterparts. The estimated average genome sizes of members of major phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota and Cand. Patescibacteria (Candidate Phyla Radiation - CPR bacteria) were significantly higher in soil-seepage water as compared to their groundwater counterparts. Seepage water Parcubacteria (Paceibacteria) exhibited 1.18-fold greater mean genome size and 2-fold lower mean proportion of pseudogenes than those in groundwater. Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria also showed a similar trend of reduced genomes in groundwater compared to seepage. While exploring gene loss and adaptive gains in closely related CPR lineages in groundwater, we identified a membrane protein, and a lipoglycopeptide resistance gene unique to a seepage Parcubacterium genome. A nitrite reductase gene was also identified and was unique to the groundwater Parcubacteria genomes, likely acquired from other planktonic microbes via horizontal gene transfer. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data suggest that bacteria in seepage waters, including ultra-small Parcubacteria, have significantly larger genomes and higher metabolic enrichment than their groundwater counterparts, highlighting possible genome streamlining of the latter in response to habitat selection in an oligotrophic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narendrakumar M Chaudhari
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olga M Pérez-Carrascal
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Will A Overholt
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Kai U Totsche
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Hydrogeology, Institute of Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Leipzig, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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van Duijnhoven HJ, Dombrowski N, Kuperus P, Aires T, Coelho MAG, Silva J, Muyzer G, Engelen AH. Draft genome of the marine bacterium Alteromonas gracilis strain J4 isolated from the green coenocytic alga Caulerpa prolifera. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024:e0018424. [PMID: 38860800 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00184-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Alteromonas gracilis strain J4, isolated from the green macroalga Caulerpa prolifera. The draft genome is 4,492,914 bp in size and contains 4,719 coding DNA sequences, 67 tRNAs, and 16 rRNA-coding genes. Strain J4 may exhibit host growth-promoting properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J van Duijnhoven
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Nina Dombrowski
- Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Kuperus
- Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tânia Aires
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Márcio A G Coelho
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - João Silva
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Gerard Muyzer
- Microbial Systems Ecology, Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Aschwin H Engelen
- Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
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Ranjit S, Deblais L, Poelstra JW, Bhandari M, Rotondo F, Scaria J, Miller SA, Rajashekara G. In vitro, in planta, and comparative genomic analyses of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae strains of pepper ( Capsicum annuum var. annuum). Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0006424. [PMID: 38712940 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00064-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) is an emerging phytopathogen that causes Pseudomonas leaf spot (PLS) disease in pepper plants. Pss can cause serious economic damage to pepper production, yet very little is known about the virulence factors carried by Pss that cause disease in pepper seedlings. In this study, Pss strains isolated from pepper plants showing PLS symptoms in Ohio between 2013 and 2021 (n = 16) showed varying degrees of virulence (Pss populations and disease symptoms on leaves) on 6-week-old pepper seedlings. In vitro studies assessing growth in nutrient-limited conditions, biofilm production, and motility also showed varying degrees of virulence, but in vitro and in planta variation in virulence between Pss strains did not correlate. Comparative whole-genome sequencing studies identified notable virulence genes including 30 biofilm genes, 87 motility genes, and 106 secretion system genes. Additionally, a total of 27 antimicrobial resistance genes were found. A multivariate correlation analysis and Scoary analysis based on variation in gene content (n = 812 variable genes) and single nucleotide polymorphisms within virulence genes identified no significant correlations with disease severity, likely due to our limited sample size. In summary, our study explored the virulence and antimicrobial gene content of Pss in pepper seedlings as a first step toward understanding the virulence and pathogenicity of Pss in pepper seedlings. Further studies with additional pepper Pss strains will facilitate defining genes in Pss that correlate with its virulence in pepper seedlings, which can facilitate the development of effective measures to control Pss in pepper and other related P. syringae pathovars. IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas leaf spot (PLS) caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) causes significant losses to the pepper industry. Highly virulent Pss strains under optimal environmental conditions (cool-moderate temperatures, high moisture) can cause severe necrotic lesions on pepper leaves that consequently can decrease pepper yield if the disease persists. Hence, it is important to understand the virulence mechanisms of Pss to be able to effectively control PLS in peppers. In our study, in vitro, in planta, and whole-genome sequence analyses were conducted to better understand the virulence and pathogenicity characteristics of Pss strains in peppers. Our findings fill a knowledge gap regarding potential virulence and pathogenicity characteristics of Pss in peppers, including virulence and antimicrobial gene content. Our study helps pave a path to further identify the role of specific virulence genes in causing disease in peppers, which can have implications in developing strategies to effectively control PLS in peppers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sochina Ranjit
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Loïc Deblais
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | | | - Menuka Bhandari
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Francesca Rotondo
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Joy Scaria
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Sally A Miller
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
| | - Gireesh Rajashekara
- Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, USA
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Noh S, Peck RF, Larson ER, Covitz RM, Chen A, Roy P, Hamilton MC, Dettmann RA. Facultative symbiont virulence determines horizontal transmission rate without host specificity in Dictyostelium discoideum social amoebas. Evol Lett 2024; 8:437-447. [PMID: 38818420 PMCID: PMC11134466 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrae001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
In facultative symbioses, only a fraction of hosts are associated with symbionts. Specific host and symbiont pairings may be the result of host-symbiont coevolution driven by reciprocal selection or priority effects pertaining to which potential symbiont is associated with a host first. Distinguishing between these possibilities is important for understanding the evolutionary forces that affect facultative symbioses. We used the social amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, and its symbiont, Paraburkholderia bonniea, to determine whether ongoing coevolution affects which host-symbiont strain pairs naturally cooccur within a facultative symbiosis. Relative to other Paraburkholderia, including another symbiont of D. discoideum, P. bonniea features a reduced genome size that indicates a significant history of coevolution with its host. We hypothesized that ongoing host-symbiont coevolution would lead to higher fitness for naturally cooccurring (native) host and symbiont pairings compared to novel pairings. We show for the first time that P. bonniea symbionts can horizontally transmit to new amoeba hosts when hosts aggregate together during the social stage of their life cycle. Here we find evidence for a virulence-transmission trade-off without host specificity. Although symbiont strains were significantly variable in virulence and horizontal transmission rate, hosts and symbionts responded similarly to associations in native and novel pairings. We go on to identify candidate virulence factors in the genomes of P. bonniea strains that may contribute to variation in virulence. We conclude that ongoing coevolution is unlikely for D. discoideum and P. bonniea. The system instead appears to represent a stable facultative symbiosis in which naturally cooccurring P. bonniea host and symbiont pairings are the result of priority effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suegene Noh
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | - Ron F Peck
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | - Emily R Larson
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | - Rachel M Covitz
- Department of Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Anna Chen
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | - Prachee Roy
- Biology Department, Colby College, Waterville, ME, United States
| | - Marisa C Hamilton
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Robert A Dettmann
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Buysse M, Koual R, Binetruy F, de Thoisy B, Baudrimont X, Garnier S, Douine M, Chevillon C, Delsuc F, Catzeflis F, Bouchon D, Duron O. Detection of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia bacteria in humans, wildlife, and ticks in the Amazon rainforest. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3988. [PMID: 38734682 PMCID: PMC11088697 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48459-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne bacteria of the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma cause several emerging human infectious diseases worldwide. In this study, we conduct an extensive survey for Ehrlichia and Anaplasma infections in the rainforests of the Amazon biome of French Guiana. Through molecular genetics and metagenomics reconstruction, we observe a high indigenous biodiversity of infections circulating among humans, wildlife, and ticks inhabiting these ecosystems. Molecular typing identifies these infections as highly endemic, with a majority of new strains and putative species specific to French Guiana. They are detected in unusual rainforest wild animals, suggesting they have distinctive sylvatic transmission cycles. They also present potential health hazards, as revealed by the detection of Candidatus Anaplasma sparouinense in human red blood cells and that of a new close relative of the human pathogen Ehrlichia ewingii, Candidatus Ehrlichia cajennense, in the tick species that most frequently bite humans in South America. The genome assembly of three new putative species obtained from human, sloth, and tick metagenomes further reveals the presence of major homologs of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma virulence factors. These observations converge to classify health hazards associated with Ehrlichia and Anaplasma infections in the Amazon biome as distinct from those in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Buysse
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Rachid Koual
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Florian Binetruy
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Laboratoire des Interactions Virus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur de Guyane, Cayenne, France
- Association Kwata 'Study and Conservation of Guianan Wildlife', Cayenne, France
| | - Xavier Baudrimont
- Direction Générale des Territoires et de la Mer (DGTM) - Direction de l'environnement, de l'agriculture, de l'alimentation et de la forêt (DEAAF), Cayenne, France
| | - Stéphane Garnier
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 uB/CNRS/EPHE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Maylis Douine
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique Antilles-Guyane, INSERM 1424, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne, France
| | | | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - François Catzeflis
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Didier Bouchon
- EBI, University of Poitiers, UMR CNRS 7267, Poitiers, France
| | - Olivier Duron
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France.
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Yang Y, Wang P, Qaidi SE, Hardwidge PR, Huang J, Zhu G. Loss to gain: pseudogenes in microorganisms, focusing on eubacteria, and their biological significance. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:328. [PMID: 38717672 PMCID: PMC11078800 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12971-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Pseudogenes are defined as "non-functional" copies of corresponding parent genes. The cognition of pseudogenes continues to be refreshed through accumulating and updating research findings. Previous studies have predominantly focused on mammals, but pseudogenes have received relatively less attention in the field of microbiology. Given the increasing recognition on the importance of pseudogenes, in this review, we focus on several aspects of microorganism pseudogenes, including their classification and characteristics, their generation and fate, their identification, their abundance and distribution, their impact on virulence, their ability to recombine with functional genes, the extent to which some pseudogenes are transcribed and translated, and the relationship between pseudogenes and viruses. By summarizing and organizing the latest research progress, this review will provide a comprehensive perspective and improved understanding on pseudogenes in microorganisms. KEY POINTS: • Concept, classification and characteristics, identification and databases, content, and distribution of microbial pseudogenes are presented. • How pseudogenization contribute to pathogen virulence is highlighted. • Pseudogenes with potential functions in microorganisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Pengzhi Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Samir El Qaidi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Philip R Hardwidge
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jinlin Huang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, China.
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, 12 East Wenhui Road, Yangzhou, 225009, Jiangsu, China.
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation On Prevention and Control Technology of Important Animal Diseases and Zoonoses of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
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García-Lozano M, Henzler C, Porras MÁG, Pons I, Berasategui A, Lanz C, Budde H, Oguchi K, Matsuura Y, Pauchet Y, Goffredi S, Fukatsu T, Windsor D, Salem H. Paleocene origin of a streamlined digestive symbiosis in leaf beetles. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1621-1634.e9. [PMID: 38377997 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Timing the acquisition of a beneficial microbe relative to the evolutionary history of its host can shed light on the adaptive impact of a partnership. Here, we investigated the onset and molecular evolution of an obligate symbiosis between Cassidinae leaf beetles and Candidatus Stammera capleta, a γ-proteobacterium. Residing extracellularly within foregut symbiotic organs, Stammera upgrades the digestive physiology of its host by supplementing plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. We observe that Stammera is a shared symbiont across tortoise and hispine beetles that collectively comprise the Cassidinae subfamily, despite differences in their folivorous habits. In contrast to its transcriptional profile during vertical transmission, Stammera elevates the expression of genes encoding digestive enzymes while in the foregut symbiotic organs, matching the nutritional requirements of its host. Despite the widespread distribution of Stammera across Cassidinae beetles, symbiont acquisition during the Paleocene (∼62 mya) did not coincide with the origin of the subfamily. Early diverging lineages lack the symbiont and the specialized organs that house it. Reconstructing the ancestral state of host-beneficial factors revealed that Stammera encoded three digestive enzymes at the onset of symbiosis, including polygalacturonase-a pectinase that is universally shared. Although non-symbiotic cassidines encode polygalacturonase endogenously, their repertoire of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes is more limited compared with symbiotic beetles supplemented with digestive enzymes from Stammera. Highlighting the potential impact of a symbiotic condition and an upgraded metabolic potential, Stammera-harboring beetles exploit a greater variety of plants and are more speciose compared with non-symbiotic members of the Cassidinae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marleny García-Lozano
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Christine Henzler
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | | | - Inès Pons
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Aileen Berasategui
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Christa Lanz
- Genome Center, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Heike Budde
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Kohei Oguchi
- National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan; Misaki Marine Biological Station, The University of Tokyo, Miura 238-0225, Japan
| | - Yu Matsuura
- Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Yannick Pauchet
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Shana Goffredi
- Department of Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA
| | - Takema Fukatsu
- National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
| | - Donald Windsor
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 0843-03092, Panama
| | - Hassan Salem
- Mutualisms Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen 72076, Germany; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City 0843-03092, Panama.
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10
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Cooley NP, Wright ES. Many purported pseudogenes in bacterial genomes are bona fide genes. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:365. [PMID: 38622536 PMCID: PMC11017572 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10137-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial genomes are largely comprised of protein coding sequences, yet some genomes contain many pseudogenes caused by frameshifts or internal stop codons. These pseudogenes are believed to result from gene degradation during evolution but could also be technical artifacts of genome sequencing or assembly. RESULTS Using a combination of observational and experimental data, we show that many putative pseudogenes are attributable to errors that are incorporated into genomes during assembly. Within 126,564 publicly available genomes, we observed that nearly identical genomes often substantially differed in pseudogene counts. Causal inference implicated assembler, sequencing platform, and coverage as likely causative factors. Reassembly of genomes from raw reads confirmed that each variable affects the number of putative pseudogenes in an assembly. Furthermore, simulated sequencing reads corroborated our observations that the quality and quantity of raw data can significantly impact the number of pseudogenes in an assembler dependent fashion. The number of unexpected pseudogenes due to internal stops was highly correlated (R2 = 0.96) with average nucleotide identity to the ground truth genome, implying relative pseudogene counts can be used as a proxy for overall assembly correctness. Applying our method to assemblies in RefSeq resulted in rejection of 3.6% of assemblies due to significantly elevated pseudogene counts. Reassembly from real reads obtained from high coverage genomes showed considerable variability in spurious pseudogenes beyond that observed with simulated reads, reinforcing the finding that high coverage is necessary to mitigate assembly errors. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these results demonstrate that many pseudogenes in microbial genome assemblies are actually genes. Our results suggest that high read coverage is required for correct assembly and indicate an inflated number of pseudogenes due to internal stops is indicative of poor overall assembly quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P Cooley
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Erik S Wright
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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11
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Giraud-Gatineau A, Nieves C, Harrison LB, Benaroudj N, Veyrier FJ, Picardeau M. Evolutionary insights into the emergence of virulent Leptospira spirochetes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.02.587687. [PMID: 38617210 PMCID: PMC11014503 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic Leptospira are spirochete bacteria which cause leptospirosis, a re-emerging zoonotic disease of global importance. Here, we use a recently described lineage of environmental-adapted leptospires, which are evolutionarily the closest relatives of the highly virulent Leptospira species, to explore the key phenotypic traits and genetic determinants of Leptospira virulence. Through a comprehensive approach integrating phylogenomic comparisons with in vitro and in vivo phenotyping studies, we show that the evolution towards pathogenicity is associated with both a decrease of the ability to survive in the environment and the acquisition of strategies that enable successful host colonization. This includes the evasion of the human complement system and the adaptations to avoid activation of the innate immune cells. Moreover, our analysis reveals specific genetic determinants that have undergone positive selection during the course of evolution in Leptospira, contributing directly to virulence and host adaptation as demonstrated by gain-of-function and knock-down studies. Taken together, our findings define a new vision on Leptospira pathogenicity, identifying virulence attributes associated with clinically relevant species, and provide insights into the evolution and emergence of these life-threatening pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cecilia Nieves
- Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Luke B. Harrison
- Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Benaroudj
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric J. Veyrier
- Bacterial Symbionts Evolution, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Laval, QC, Canada
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
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12
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Garber AI, Garcia de la Filia Molina A, Vea IM, Mongue AJ, Ross L, McCutcheon JP. Retention of an Endosymbiont for the Production of a Single Molecule. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae075. [PMID: 38577764 PMCID: PMC11032189 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Sap-feeding insects often maintain two or more nutritional endosymbionts that act in concert to produce compounds essential for insect survival. Many mealybugs have endosymbionts in a nested configuration: one or two bacterial species reside within the cytoplasm of another bacterium, and together, these bacteria have genomes that encode interdependent sets of genes needed to produce key nutritional molecules. Here, we show that the mealybug Pseudococcus viburni has three endosymbionts, one of which contributes only two unique genes that produce the host nutrition-related molecule chorismate. All three bacterial endosymbionts have tiny genomes, suggesting that they have been coevolving inside their insect host for millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiy I Garber
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Isabelle M Vea
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Andrew J Mongue
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Laura Ross
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - John P McCutcheon
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
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13
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Saati-Santamaría Z, Flores-Félix JD, Igual JM, Velázquez E, García-Fraile P, Martínez-Molina E. Speciation Features of Ferdinandcohnia quinoae sp. nov to Adapt to the Plant Host. J Mol Evol 2024; 92:169-180. [PMID: 38502221 PMCID: PMC10978704 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-024-10164-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The bacterial strain SECRCQ15T was isolated from seeds of Chenopodium quinoa in Spain. Phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic, and phenotypic analyses, as well as genome similarity indices, support the classification of the strain into a novel species of the genus Ferdinandcohnia, for which we propose the name Ferdinandcohnia quinoae sp. nov. To dig deep into the speciation features of the strain SECRCQ15T, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of the genome of this strain and those of the type strains of species from the genus Ferdinandcohnia. We found several genes related with plant growth-promoting mechanisms within the SECRCQ15T genome. We also found that singletons of F. quinoae SECRCQ15T are mainly related to the use of carbohydrates, which is a common trait of plant-associated bacteria. To further reveal speciation events in this strain, we revealed genes undergoing diversifying selection (e.g., genes encoding ribosomal proteins) and functions likely lost due to pseudogenization. Also, we found that this novel species contains 138 plant-associated gene-cluster functions that are unique within the genus Ferdinandcohnia. These features may explain both the ecological and taxonomical differentiation of this new taxon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaki Saati-Santamaría
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vídeňská, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - José M Igual
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
- Unidad Asociada Grupo de Interacción Planta-Microorganismo, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Encarna Velázquez
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Unidad Asociada Grupo de Interacción Planta-Microorganismo, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Paula García-Fraile
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
- Unidad Asociada Grupo de Interacción Planta-Microorganismo, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Eustoquio Martínez-Molina
- Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación en Agrobiotecnología (CIALE), Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Unidad Asociada Grupo de Interacción Planta-Microorganismo, Universidad de Salamanca-IRNASA-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
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14
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Hollender M, Sałek M, Karlicki M, Karnkowska A. Single-cell genomics revealed Candidatus Grellia alia sp. nov. as an endosymbiont of Eutreptiella sp. (Euglenophyceae). Protist 2024; 175:126018. [PMID: 38325049 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2024.126018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Though endosymbioses between protists and prokaryotes are widespread, certain host lineages have received disproportionate attention what may indicate either a predisposition to such interactions or limited studies on certain protist groups due to lack of cultures. The euglenids represent one such group in spite of microscopic observations showing intracellular bacteria in some strains. Here, we perform a comprehensive molecular analysis of a previously identified endosymbiont in the Eutreptiella sp. CCMP3347 using a single cell approach and bulk culture sequencing. The genome reconstruction of this endosymbiont allowed the description of a new endosymbiont Candidatus Grellia alia sp. nov. from the family Midichloriaceae. Comparative genomics revealed a remarkably complete conjugative type IV secretion system present in three copies on the plasmid sequences of the studied endosymbiont, a feature missing in the closely related Grellia incantans. This study addresses the challenge of limited host cultures with endosymbionts by showing that the genomes of endosymbionts reconstructed from single host cells have the completeness and contiguity that matches or exceeds those coming from bulk cultures. This paves the way for further studies of endosymbionts in euglenids and other protist groups. The research also provides the opportunity to study the diversity of endosymbionts in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metody Hollender
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Sałek
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Karlicki
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Karnkowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland.
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15
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Pilgrim J. Comparative genomics of a novel Erwinia species associated with the Highland midge ( Culicoides impunctatus). Microb Genom 2024; 10. [PMID: 38630610 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Erwinia (Enterobacterales: Erwiniaceae) are a group of cosmopolitan bacteria best known as the causative agents of various plant diseases. However, other species in this genus have been found to play important roles as insect endosymbionts supplementing the diet of their hosts. Here, I describe Candidatus Erwinia impunctatus (Erwimp) associated with the Highland midge Culicoides impunctatus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), an abundant biting pest in the Scottish Highlands. The genome of this new Erwinia species was assembled using hybrid long and short read techniques, and a comparative analysis was undertaken with other members of the genus to understand its potential ecological niche and impact. Genome composition analysis revealed that Erwimp is similar to other endophytic and ectophytic species in the genus and is unlikely to be restricted to its insect host. Evidence for an additional plant host includes the presence of a carotenoid synthesis operon implicated as a virulence factor in plant-associated members in the sister genus Pantoea. Unique features of Erwimp include several copies of intimin-like proteins which, along with signs of genome pseudogenization and a loss of certain metabolic pathways, suggests an element of host restriction seen elsewhere in the genus. Furthermore, a screening of individuals over two field seasons revealed the absence of the bacteria in Culicoides impunctatus during the second year indicating this microbe-insect interaction is likely to be transient. These data suggest that Culicoides impunctatus may have an important role to play beyond a biting nuisance, as an insect vector transmitting Erwimp alongside any conferred impacts to surrounding biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Pilgrim
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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16
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Payne M, Williamson S, Wang Q, Zhang X, Sintchenko V, Pavic A, Lan R. Emergence of Poultry-Associated Human Salmonella enterica Serovar Abortusovis Infections, New South Wales, Australia. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:691-700. [PMID: 38526124 PMCID: PMC10977856 DOI: 10.3201/eid3004.230958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enterica serovar Abortusovis is a ovine-adapted pathogen that causes spontaneous abortion. Salmonella Abortusovis was reported in poultry in 2009 and has since been reported in human infections in New South Wales, Australia. Phylogenomic analysis revealed a clade of 51 closely related isolates from Australia originating in 2004. That clade was genetically distinct from ovine-associated isolates. The clade was widespread in New South Wales poultry production facilities but was only responsible for sporadic human infections. Some known virulence factors associated with human infections were only found in the poultry-associated clade, some of which were acquired through prophages and plasmids. Furthermore, the ovine-associated clade showed signs of genome decay, but the poultry-associated clade did not. Those genomic changes most likely led to differences in host range and disease type. Surveillance using the newly identified genetic markers will be vital for tracking Salmonella Abortusovis transmission in animals and to humans and preventing future outbreaks.
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17
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Spencer N, Santee M, Wetherhold A, Rio RVM. Draft genome sequence of Wigglesworthia glossinidia "palpalis gambiensis" isolate. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024; 13:e0091223. [PMID: 38206026 PMCID: PMC10868223 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00912-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The 0.719 Mb genome of the tsetse endosymbiont, Wigglesworthia glossinidia, from Glossina palpalis gambiensis is presented. This Wigglesworthia genome retains 611 protein-coding sequences and a 25.3% GC content. A cryptic plasmid is conserved, between Wigglesworthia isolates, suggesting functional significance. This genome adds a further dimension to characterize Wigglesworthia lineage-based differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Spencer
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Mathilda Santee
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Adam Wetherhold
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Rita V. M. Rio
- Department of Biology, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
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18
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Douglas GM, Shapiro BJ. Pseudogenes act as a neutral reference for detecting selection in prokaryotic pangenomes. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:304-314. [PMID: 38177690 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02268-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
A long-standing question is to what degree genetic drift and selection drive the divergence in rare accessory gene content between closely related bacteria. Rare genes, including singletons, make up a large proportion of pangenomes (all genes in a set of genomes), but it remains unclear how many such genes are adaptive, deleterious or neutral to their host genome. Estimates of species' effective population sizes (Ne) are positively associated with pangenome size and fluidity, which has independently been interpreted as evidence for both neutral and adaptive pangenome models. We hypothesized that pseudogenes, used as a neutral reference, could be used to distinguish these models. We find that most functional categories are depleted for rare pseudogenes when a genome encodes only a single intact copy of a gene family. In contrast, transposons are enriched in pseudogenes, suggesting they are mostly neutral or deleterious to the host genome. Thus, even if individual rare accessory genes vary in their effects on host fitness, we can confidently reject a model of entirely neutral or deleterious rare genes. We also define the ratio of singleton intact genes to singleton pseudogenes (si/sp) within a pangenome, compare this measure across 668 prokaryotic species and detect a signal consistent with the adaptive value of many rare accessory genes. Taken together, our work demonstrates that comparing with pseudogenes can improve inferences of the evolutionary forces driving pangenome variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin M Douglas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - B Jesse Shapiro
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- McGill Centre for Microbiome Research, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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19
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Kyei-Baffour ES, Owusu-Boateng K, Isawumi A, Mosi L. Pseudogenomic insights into the evolution of Mycobacterium ulcerans. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:87. [PMID: 38253991 PMCID: PMC10802024 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10001-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Buruli ulcer (BU) disease, caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (MU), and characterized by necrotic ulcers is still a health problem in Africa and Australia. The genome of the bacterium has several pseudogenes due to recent evolutionary events and environmental pressures. Pseudogenes are genetic elements regarded as nonessential in bacteria, however, they are less studied due to limited available tools to provide understanding of their evolution and roles in MU pathogenicity. RESULTS This study developed a bioinformatic pipeline to profile the pseudogenomes of sequenced MU clinical isolates from different countries. One hundred and seventy-two MU genomes analyzed revealed that pseudogenomes of African strains corresponded to the two African lineages 1 and 2. Pseudogenomes were lineage and location specific and African lineage 1 was further divided into A and B. Lineage 2 had less relaxation in positive selection than lineage 1 which may signify different evolutionary points. Based on the Gil-Latorre model, African MU strains may be in the latter stages of evolutionary adaption and are adapting to an environment rich in metabolic resources with a lower temperature and decreased UV radiation. The environment fosters oxidative metabolism and MU may be less reliant on some secondary metabolites. In-house pseudogenomes from Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire were different from other African strains, however, they were identified as African strains. CONCLUSION Our bioinformatic pipeline provides pseudogenomic insights to complement other whole genome analyses, providing a better view of the evolution of the genome of MU and suggest an adaptation model which is important in understanding transmission. MU pseudogene profiles vary based on lineage and country, and an apparent reduction in insertion sequences used for the detection of MU which may adversely affect the sensitivity of diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Sakyi Kyei-Baffour
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwabena Owusu-Boateng
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Microbial Sciences, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK
| | - Abiola Isawumi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lydia Mosi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
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20
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Field CJ, Bowerman KL, Hugenholtz P. Multiple independent losses of sporulation and peptidoglycan in the Mycoplasmatales and related orders of the class Bacilli. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001176. [PMID: 38189216 PMCID: PMC10868615 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Many peptidoglycan-deficient bacteria such as the Mycoplasmatales are known host-associated lineages, lacking the environmental resistance mechanisms and metabolic capabilities necessary for a free-living lifestyle. Several peptidoglycan-deficient and non-sporulating orders of interest are thought to be descended from Gram-positive sporulating Bacilli through reductive evolution. Here we annotate 2650 genomes belonging to the class Bacilli, according to the Genome Taxonomy Database, to predict the peptidoglycan and sporulation phenotypes of three novel orders, RFN20, RF39 and ML615J-28, known only through environmental sequence surveys. These lineages are interspersed between peptidoglycan-deficient non-sporulating orders including the Mycoplasmatales and Acholeplasmatales, and more typical Gram-positive orders such as the Erysipelotrichales and Staphylococcales. We use the extant genotypes to perform ancestral state reconstructions. The novel orders are predicted to have small genomes with minimal metabolic capabilities and to comprise a mix of peptidoglycan-deficient and/or non-sporulating species. In contrast to expectations based on cultured representatives, the order Erysipelotrichales lacks many of the genes involved in peptidoglycan and endospore formation. The reconstructed evolutionary history of these traits suggests multiple independent whole-genome reductions and loss of phenotype via intermediate transition states that continue into the present. We suggest that the evolutionary history of the reduced-genome lineages within the class Bacilli is one driven by multiple independent transitions to host-associated lifestyles, with the degree of reduction in environmental resistance and metabolic capabilities correlated with degree of host association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J. Field
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Kate L. Bowerman
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Philip Hugenholtz
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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21
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Fourie A, Venter SN, Slippers B, Fourie G. Pantoea bathycoeliae sp. nov and Sodalis sp. are core gut microbiome symbionts of the two-spotted stink bug. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1284397. [PMID: 38098653 PMCID: PMC10720322 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1284397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Stink bug species (Pentatomoidea superfamily) have developed an interdependence with obligate bacterial gut symbionts in specialized midgut crypts (M4 sub-region). Species of the Enterobacteriaceae family (predominantly Pantoea) are vertically transferred to their offspring and provide nutrients that cannot be obtained from plant sap food sources. However, the bacteria in the other gut compartments of stink bugs have rarely been investigated. The two-spotted stink bug, Bathycoelia distincta, is a serious pest of macadamias in South Africa. Nothing is currently known regarding its gut microbiome or how symbionts are transferred between insect generations. In this study, the consistency of B. distincta gut bacteria across geographic locations and life stages was determined with 16S rRNA metabarcoding, considering both the M4 and other gut compartments. A novel Pantoea species was found to be the primary M4 gut symbiont and is vertically transferred to the offspring. The other gut compartments had a low bacterial diversity and genera varied between stink bug populations but a Sodalis species was prominent in all populations. Sequence data of the M4 compartment were used to produce high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for the Pantoea and Sodalis species. Functional analyses suggested a similar role in nutrient provision for the host, yet also unique metabolites produced by each species. The Sodalis sp. also had additional traits, such as secretion systems, that likely allowed it to establish itself in the host. The Pantoea species was described as Pantoea bathycoeliae sp. nov based on the rules of the SeqCode.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gerda Fourie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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22
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Martin Říhová J, Gupta S, Darby AC, Nováková E, Hypša V. Arsenophonus symbiosis with louse flies: multiple origins, coevolutionary dynamics, and metabolic significance. mSystems 2023; 8:e0070623. [PMID: 37750682 PMCID: PMC10654098 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00706-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Insects that live exclusively on vertebrate blood utilize symbiotic bacteria as a source of essential compounds, e.g., B vitamins. In louse flies, the most frequent symbiont originated in genus Arsenophonus, known from a wide range of insects. Here, we analyze genomic traits, phylogenetic origins, and metabolic capacities of 11 Arsenophonus strains associated with louse flies. We show that in louse flies, Arsenophonus established symbiosis in at least four independent events, reaching different stages of symbiogenesis. This allowed for comparative genomic analysis, including convergence of metabolic capacities. The significance of the results is twofold. First, based on a comparison of independently originated Arsenophonus symbioses, it determines the importance of individual B vitamins for the insect host. This expands our theoretical insight into insect-bacteria symbiosis. The second outcome is of methodological significance. We show that the comparative approach reveals artifacts that would be difficult to identify based on a single-genome analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Martin Říhová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Shruti Gupta
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Alistair C. Darby
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Nováková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Václav Hypša
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czechia
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23
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Cohen N, Veksler-Lublinsky I. A large-scale phylogeny-guided analysis of pseudogenes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0170423. [PMID: 37750703 PMCID: PMC10580986 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01704-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudogenes, once considered "junk DNA" based on the incorrect assumption that the absence of full coding potential means a complete lack of functionality, have recently become a subject of significant interest in the scientific community. Concurrently, it is widely assumed that bacterial genomes are compact and have a high density of coding genes with little room for non-coding genes, including pseudogenes. A key aspect of genome annotation is the correct identification of genes and the distinction between coding genes and pseudogenes, as it directly impacts functional and comparative genomics studies. In this study, we analyzed the genomic data of 4,699 strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as they exhibit high variability in the number of annotated pseudogenes. In particular, we looked for correlations between the number of pseudogenes and other genomic and meta-features of the strains. We identified clusters of orthologous genes and pseudogenes and compared cluster size distributions and length homogeneity within clusters. We then mapped and examined orthology relationships between genes and pseudogenes. Additionally, we generated a phylogenetic tree of the strains and found that phylogenetically related strains are more homogeneous in the number of pseudogenes and share a significant amount of pseudogenes. Finally, we delved into clusters of orthologous genes and pseudogenes and quantified their phylogenetic neighborhood, classifying pseudogenes into evolutionary preserved pseudogenes, mis-annotated pseudogenes, or pseudogenes formed by failed horizontal transfer events. This in-depth study provides important insights that can be incorporated into pseudogene annotation pipelines in the future. IMPORTANCE Accurate annotation of genes and pseudogenes is vital for comparative genomics analysis. Recent studies have shown that bacterial pseudogenes have an important role in regulatory processes and can provide insight into the evolutionary history of homologous genes or the genome as a whole. Due to pseudogenes' nature as non-functional genes, there is no commonly accepted definition of a pseudogene, which poses difficulties in verifying the annotation through experimental methods and resolving discrepancies among different annotation techniques. Our study introduces an in-depth analysis of annotated genes and pseudogenes and insights that can be incorporated into improved pseudogene annotation pipelines in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Cohen
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Isana Veksler-Lublinsky
- Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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24
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Longley R, Robinson A, Liber JA, Bryson AE, Morales DP, LaButti K, Riley R, Mondo SJ, Kuo A, Yoshinaga Y, Daum C, Barry K, Grigoriev IV, Desirò A, Chain PSG, Bonito G. Comparative genomics of Mollicutes-related endobacteria supports a late invasion into Mucoromycota fungi. Commun Biol 2023; 6:948. [PMID: 37723238 PMCID: PMC10507103 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05299-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse members of early-diverging Mucoromycota, including mycorrhizal taxa and soil-associated Mortierellaceae, are known to harbor Mollicutes-related endobacteria (MRE). It has been hypothesized that MRE were acquired by a common ancestor and transmitted vertically. Alternatively, MRE endosymbionts could have invaded after the divergence of Mucoromycota lineages and subsequently spread to new hosts horizontally. To better understand the evolutionary history of MRE symbionts, we generated and analyzed four complete MRE genomes from two Mortierellaceae genera: Linnemannia (MRE-L) and Benniella (MRE-B). These genomes include the smallest known of fungal endosymbionts and showed signals of a tight relationship with hosts including a reduced functional capacity and genes transferred from fungal hosts to MRE. Phylogenetic reconstruction including nine MRE from mycorrhizal fungi revealed that MRE-B genomes are more closely related to MRE from Glomeromycotina than MRE-L from the same host family. We posit that reductions in genome size, GC content, pseudogene content, and repeat content in MRE-L may reflect a longer-term relationship with their fungal hosts. These data indicate Linnemannia and Benniella MRE were likely acquired independently after their fungal hosts diverged from a common ancestor. This work expands upon foundational knowledge on minimal genomes and provides insights into the evolution of bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid Longley
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Julian A Liber
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27704, USA
| | - Abigail E Bryson
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Kurt LaButti
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Robert Riley
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Alan Kuo
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Yuko Yoshinaga
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Chris Daum
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kerrie Barry
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alessandro Desirò
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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25
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Lin ZT, Du LF, Zhang MZ, Han XY, Wang BH, Meng J, Yu FX, Zhou XQ, Wang N, Li C, Wang XY, Liu J, Gao WY, Ye RZ, Xia LY, Sun Y, Jia N, Jiang JF, Zhao L, Cui XM, Zhan L, Cao WC. Genomic Characteristics of Emerging Intraerythrocytic Anaplasma capra and High Prevalence in Goats, China. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:1780-1788. [PMID: 37610104 PMCID: PMC10461651 DOI: 10.3201/eid2909.230131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Anaplasma capra is an emerging tickborne human pathogen initially recognized in China in 2015; it has been reported in ticks and in a wide range of domestic and wild animals worldwide. We describe whole-genome sequences of 2 A. capra strains from metagenomic sequencing of purified erythrocytes from infected goats in China. The genome of A. capra was the smallest among members of the genus Anaplasma. The genomes of the 2 A. capra strains contained comparable G+C content and numbers of pseudogenes with intraerythrocytic Anaplasma species. The 2 A. capra strains had 54 unique genes. The prevalence of A. capra was high among goats in the 2 endemic areas. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the A. capra strains detected in this study were basically classified into 2 subclusters with those previously detected in Asia. Our findings clarify details of the genomic characteristics of A. capra and shed light on its genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Tao Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Li-Feng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Ming-Zhu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Xiao-Yu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Bai-Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Jiao Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Fu-Xun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Xiao-Quan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Ning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Cheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Xiao-Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Jing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Wan-Ying Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Run-Ze Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Luo-Yuan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Yi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Na Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
| | - Jia-Fu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China (Z.-T. Lin, L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, X.-Y. Han, Y. Sun, N. Jia, J.-F. Jiang, X.-M. Cui, W.-C. Cao)
- Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan, China (L.-F. Du, M.-Z. Zhang, B.-H. Wang, N. Wang, C. Li, X.-Y. Wang, J. Liu, W.-Y. Gao, R.-Z. Ye, L.-Y. Xia, L. Zhao)
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunological Diseases, Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital, Guiyang, China (J. Meng, F.-X. Yu, L. Zhan)
- Guizhou Provincial Blood Center, Guiyang (X.-Q. Zhou)
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26
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George EE, Barcytė D, Lax G, Livingston S, Tashyreva D, Husnik F, Lukeš J, Eliáš M, Keeling PJ. A single cryptomonad cell harbors a complex community of organelles, bacteria, a phage, and selfish elements. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1982-1996.e4. [PMID: 37116483 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Symbiosis between prokaryotes and microbial eukaryotes (protists) has broadly impacted both evolution and ecology. Endosymbiosis led to mitochondria and plastids, the latter spreading across the tree of eukaryotes by subsequent rounds of endosymbiosis. Present-day endosymbionts in protists remain both common and diverse, although what function they serve is often unknown. Here, we describe a highly complex community of endosymbionts and a bacteriophage (phage) within a single cryptomonad cell. Cryptomonads are a model for organelle evolution because their secondary plastid retains a relict endosymbiont nucleus, but only one previously unidentified Cryptomonas strain (SAG 25.80) is known to harbor bacterial endosymbionts. We carried out electron microscopy and FISH imaging as well as genomic sequencing on Cryptomonas SAG 25.80, which revealed a stable, complex community even after over 50 years in continuous cultivation. We identified the host strain as Cryptomonas gyropyrenoidosa, and sequenced genomes from its mitochondria, plastid, and nucleomorph (and partially its nucleus), as well as two symbionts, Megaira polyxenophila and Grellia numerosa, and one phage (MAnkyphage) infecting M. polyxenophila. Comparing closely related endosymbionts from other hosts revealed similar metabolic and genomic features, with the exception of abundant transposons and genome plasticity in M. polyxenophila from Cryptomonas. We found an abundance of eukaryote-interacting genes as well as many toxin-antitoxin systems, including in the MAnkyphage genome that also encodes several eukaryotic-like proteins. Overall, the Cryptomonas cell is an endosymbiotic conglomeration with seven distinct evolving genomes that all show evidence of inter-lineage conflict but nevertheless remain stable, even after more than 4,000 generations in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E George
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Dovilė Barcytė
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, 701 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Gordon Lax
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sam Livingston
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daria Tashyreva
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Filip Husnik
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Marek Eliáš
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, 701 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- University of British Columbia, Department of Botany, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
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27
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Mahmood S, Nováková E, Martinů J, Sychra O, Hypša V. Supergroup F Wolbachia with extremely reduced genome: transition to obligate insect symbionts. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:22. [PMID: 36750860 PMCID: PMC9903615 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01462-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wolbachia belong to highly abundant bacteria which are frequently found in invertebrate microbiomes and manifest by a broad spectrum of lifestyles from parasitism to mutualism. Wolbachia supergroup F is a particularly interesting clade as it gave rise to symbionts of both arthropods and nematodes, and some of its members are obligate mutualists. Investigations on evolutionary transitions among the different symbiotic stages have been hampered by a lack of the known diversity and genomic data for the supergroup F members. RESULTS Based on amplicon screening, short- and long-read WGS approaches, and laser confocal microscopy, we characterize five new supergroup F Wolbachia strains from four chewing lice species. These strains reached different evolutionary stages and represent two remarkably different types of symbiont genomes. Three of the genomes resemble other known members of Wolbachia F supergroup, while the other two show typical signs of ongoing gene inactivation and removal (genome size, coding density, low number of pseudogenes). Particularly, wMeur1, a symbiont fixed in microbiomes of Menacanthus eurysternus across four continents, possesses a highly reduced genome of 733,850 bp. The horizontally acquired capacity for pantothenate synthesis and localization in specialized bacteriocytes suggest its obligate nutritional role. CONCLUSIONS The genome of wMeur1 strain, from the M. eurysternus microbiome, represents the smallest currently known Wolbachia genome and the first example of Wolbachia which has completed genomic streamlining as known from the typical obligate symbionts. This points out that despite the large amount and great diversity of the known Wolbachia strains, evolutionary potential of these bacteria still remains underexplored. The diversity of the four chewing lice microbiomes indicates that this vast parasitic group may provide suitable models for further investigations. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sazzad Mahmood
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Nováková
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Martinů
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Oldřich Sychra
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Hypša
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, ASCR, V.V.I., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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Renau-Mínguez C, Herrero-Abadía P, Ruiz-Rodriguez P, Sentandreu V, Torrents E, Chiner-Oms Á, Torres-Puente M, Comas I, Julián E, Coscolla M. Genomic analysis of Mycobacterium brumae sustains its nonpathogenic and immunogenic phenotype. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:982679. [PMID: 36687580 PMCID: PMC9850167 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.982679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium brumae is a rapid-growing, non-pathogenic Mycobacterium species, originally isolated from environmental and human samples in Barcelona, Spain. Mycobacterium brumae is not pathogenic and it's in vitro phenotype and immunogenic properties have been well characterized. However, the knowledge of its underlying genetic composition is still incomplete. In this study, we first describe the 4 Mb genome of the M. brumae type strain ATCC 51384T assembling PacBio reads, and second, we assess the low intraspecies variability by comparing the type strain with Illumina reads from three additional strains. Mycobacterium brumae genome is composed of a circular chromosome with a high GC content of 69.2% and containing 3,791 CDSs, 97 pseudogenes, one prophage and no CRISPR loci. Mycobacterium brumae has shown no pathogenic potential in in vivo experiments, and our genomic analysis confirms its phylogenetic position with other non-pathogenic and rapid growing mycobacteria. Accordingly, we determined the absence of virulence-related genes, such as ESX-1 locus and most PE/PPE genes, among others. Although the immunogenic potential of M. brumae was proved to be as high as Mycobacterium bovis BCG, the only mycobacteria licensed to treat cancer, the genomic content of M. tuberculosis T cell and B cell antigens in M. brumae genome is considerably lower than those antigens present in M. bovis BCG genome. Overall, this work provides relevant genomic data on one of the species of the mycobacterial genus with high therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Herrero-Abadía
- Genetics and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Vicente Sentandreu
- Genomics Unit, Central Service for Experimental Research (SCSIE), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Eduard Torrents
- Bacterial Infections and Antimicrobial Therapies Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain,Microbiology Section, Department of Genetics, Microbiology, and Statistics, Biology Faculty, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Iñaki Comas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esther Julián
- Genetics and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,Esther Julián, ✉
| | - Mireia Coscolla
- I2SysBio, University of Valencia-FISABIO Joint Unit, Paterna, Spain,*Correspondence: Mireia Coscolla, ✉
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29
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Giannotti D, Boscaro V, Husnik F, Vannini C, Keeling PJ. At the threshold of symbiosis: the genome of obligately endosymbiotic ' Candidatus Nebulobacter yamunensis' is almost indistinguishable from that of a cultivable strain. Microb Genom 2022; 8:mgen000909. [PMID: 36748607 PMCID: PMC9837558 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparing obligate endosymbionts with their free-living relatives is a powerful approach to investigate the evolution of symbioses, and it has led to the identification of several genomic traits consistently associated with the establishment of symbiosis. 'Candidatus Nebulobacter yamunensis' is an obligate bacterial endosymbiont of the ciliate Euplotes that seemingly depends on its host for survival. A subsequently characterized bacterial strain with an identical 16S rRNA gene sequence, named Fastidiosibacter lacustris, can instead be maintained in pure culture. We analysed the genomes of 'Candidatus Nebulobacter' and Fastidiosibacter seeking to identify key differences between their functional traits and genomic structure that might shed light on a recent transition to obligate endosymbiosis. Surprisingly, we found almost no such differences: the two genomes share a high level of sequence identity, the same overall structure, and largely overlapping sets of genes. The similarities between the genomes of the two strains are at odds with their different ecological niches, confirmed here with a parallel growth experiment. Although other pairs of closely related symbiotic/free-living bacteria have been compared in the past, 'Candidatus Nebulobacter' and Fastidiosibacter represent an extreme example proving that a small number of (unknown) factors might play a pivotal role in the earliest stages of obligate endosymbiosis establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Giannotti
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy,Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Vittorio Boscaro
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,*Correspondence: Vittorio Boscaro,
| | - Filip Husnik
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada,Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
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Orsini M, Ianni A, Zinzula L. Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis genome characterization unveils genetic features that highlight their zoonotic potential. Microbiologyopen 2022; 11:e1329. [PMID: 36314752 PMCID: PMC9597259 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative bacteria Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis circulate in marine environments primarily infecting marine mammals, where they cause an often-fatal disease named brucellosis. The increase of brucellosis among several species of cetaceans and pinnipeds, together with the report of sporadic human infections, raises concerns about the zoonotic potential of these pathogens on a large scale and may pose a threat to coastal communities worldwide. Therefore, the characterization of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genetic features is a priority to better understand the pathological factors that may impact global health. Moreover, an in-depth functional analysis of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genome in the context of virulence and pathogenesis was not undertaken so far. Within this picture, here we present the comparative whole-genome characterization of all B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes available in public resources, uncovering a collection of genetic tools possessed by these aquatic bacterial species compared to their zoonotic terrestrial relatives. We show that B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes display a wide host-range infection capability and a polyphyletic phylogeny within the genus, showing a genomic structure that fits the canonical definition of closeness. Functional genome annotation led to identifying genes related to several pathways involved in mechanisms of infection, others conferring pan-susceptibility to antimicrobials and a set of virulence genes that highlight the similarity of B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genotypes to those of Brucella spp. displaying human-infecting phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Orsini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and GenomicsLegnaroItaly
| | - Andrea Ianni
- Research Unit in Hygiene, Statistics and Public HealthCampus Bio‐Medico di Roma UniversityRomeItaly
| | - Luca Zinzula
- Department of Molecular Structural BiologyMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryMartinsriedGermany,Centro di Educazione Ambientale e alla Sostenibilità (CEAS) Laguna di NoraPulaItaly
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Abstract
The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum is a predatory soil protist frequently used for studying host-pathogen interactions. A subset of D. discoideum strains isolated from soil persistently carry symbiotic Paraburkholderia, recently formally described as P. agricolaris, P. bonniea, and P. hayleyella. The three facultative symbiont species of D. discoideum present a unique opportunity to study a naturally occurring symbiosis in a laboratory model protist. There is a large difference in genome size between P. agricolaris (8.7 million base pairs [Mbp]) versus P. hayleyella and P. bonniea (4.1 Mbp). We took a comparative genomics approach and compared the three genomes of D. discoideum symbionts to 12 additional Paraburkholderia genomes to test for genome evolution patterns that frequently accompany host adaptation. Overall, P. agricolaris is difficult to distinguish from other Paraburkholderia based on its genome size and content, but the reduced genomes of P. bonniea and P. hayleyella display characteristics indicative of genome streamlining rather than deterioration during adaptation to their protist hosts. In addition, D. discoideum-symbiont genomes have increased secretion system and motility genes that may mediate interactions with their host. Specifically, adjacent BurBor-like type 3 and T6SS-5-like type 6 secretion system operons shared among all three D. discoideum-symbiont genomes may be important for host interaction. Horizontal transfer of these secretion system operons within the amoeba host environment may have contributed to the unique ability of these symbionts to establish and maintain a symbiotic relationship with D. discoideum. IMPORTANCE Protists are a diverse group of typically single cell eukaryotes. Bacteria and archaea that form long-term symbiotic relationships with protists may evolve in additional ways than those in relationships with multicellular eukaryotes such as plants, animals, or fungi. Social amoebas are a predatory soil protist sometimes found with symbiotic bacteria living inside their cells. They present a unique opportunity to explore a naturally occurring symbiosis in a protist frequently used for studying host-pathogen interactions. We show that one amoeba-symbiont species is similar to other related bacteria in genome size and content, while the two reduced-genome-symbiont species show characteristics of genome streamlining rather than deterioration during adaptation to their host. We also identify sets of genes present in all three amoeba-symbiont genomes that are potentially used for host-symbiont interactions. Because the amoeba symbionts are distantly related, the amoeba host environment may be where these genes were shared among symbionts.
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