Genome Sequence of Kocuria palustris Strain CD07_3 Isolated from the Duodenal Mucosa of a Celiac Disease Patient

Antibiotic resistance genes in the Actinobacteria phylum

The Actinobacteria phylum is one of the oldest bacterial phyla that have a significant role in medicine and biotechnology. There are a lot of genera in this phylum that are causing various types of infections in humans, animals, and plants. As well as antimicrobial agents that are used in medicine for infections treatment or prevention of infections, they have been discovered of various genera in this phylum. To date, resistance to antibiotics is rising in different regions of the world and this is a global health threat. The main purpose of this review is the molecular evolution of antibiotic resistance in the Actinobacteria phylum.

A genomic analysis of Mycobacterium immunogenum strain CD11_6 and its potential role in the activation of T cells against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is a mounting problem worldwide. The only available vaccine BCG protects the childhood but not adulthood form of TB. Therefore, efforts are made continuously to improve the efficacy of BCG by supplementing it with other therapies. Consequently, we explored the possibility of employing Mycobacterium immunogenum (Mi) to improve BCG potential to protect against Mtb.

Results

We report here the genome mining, comparative genomics, immunological and protection studies employing strain CD11_6 of Mi. Mycobacterium immunogenum was isolated from duodenal mucosa of a celiac disease patient. The strain was whole genome sequenced and annotated for identification of virulent genes and other traits that may make it suitable as a potential vaccine candidate. Virulence profile of Mi was mapped and compared with two other reference genomes i.e. virulent Mtb strain H37Rv and vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis (Mb) AFF2122/97. This comparative analysis revealed that Mi is less virulent, as compared to Mb and Mtb, and contains comparable number of genes encoding for the antigenic proteins that predict it as a probable vaccine candidate. Interestingly, the animals vaccinated with Mi showed significant augmentation in the generation of memory T cells and reduction in the Mtb burden.

Conclusion

The study signifies that Mi has a potential to protect against Mtb and therefore can be a future vaccine candidate against TB.

Cross-Talk Between Gluten, Intestinal Microbiota and Intestinal Mucosa in Celiac Disease: Recent Advances and Basis of Autoimmunity

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, caused by gluten induced inflammation in some individuals susceptible to genetic and environmental influences. To date, pathophysiology of CD in relation to intestinal microbiota is not known well. This review relies on contribution of intestinal microbiome and oral microbiome in pathogenesis of CD based on their interactions with gluten, thereby highlighting the role of upper gastrointestinal microbiota. It has been hypothesized that CD might be triggered by additive effects of immunotoxic gluten peptides and intestinal dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) in the people with or without genetic susceptibilities, where antibiotics may be deriving dysbiotic agents. In contrast to the intestinal dysbiosis, genetic factors even seem secondary in disease outcome thus suggesting the importance of interaction between microbes and dietary factors in immune regulation at intestinal mucosa. Moreover, association of imbalanced counts of some commensal microbes in intestine of CD patients suggests the scope for probiotic therapies. Lactobacilli and specific intestinal and oral bacteria are potent source of gluten degrading enzymes (glutenases) that may contribute to commercialization of a novel glutenase therapy. In this review, we shall discuss advantages and disadvantages of food based therapies along with probiotic therapies where probiotic therapies are expected to emerge as the safest biotherapies among other in-process therapies. In addition, this review emphasizes on differential targets of probiotics that make them suitable to manage CD as along with glutenase activity, they also exhibit immunomodulatory and intestinal microbiome modulatory properties.

Genome sequence and comparative genomic analysis of a clinically important strain CD11-4 of Janibacter melonis isolated from celiac disease patient

Background

Janibacter melonis and other member of this genus are known to cause bacteremia and serious clinical comorbidities, but there is no study reporting about pathogenicity attributes of J. melonis. Janibacter terrae is known to cause lethal infection. Reporting the genome of J. melonis CD11-4 and comparative genomics with other members of genus has provided some novel insights that can enable us to understand the mechanisms responsible for its pathogenicity in humans.

Results

Comparative genomic analysis by Rapid Annotation Server and Technology revealed the presence of similar virulence determinant genes in both J. terrae NBRC 107853^T and J. melonis CD11-4. Like J. terrae NBRC 107853^T, J. melonis CD11-4 contained two genes responsible for resistance against β-lactam class of antibiotics and two genes for resistance against fluoroquinolones. Interestingly, J. melonis CD11-4 contained a unique gene coding for multidrug resistance efflux pumps unlike all other members of this genus. It also contained two genes involved in Toxin-antitoxin Systems that were absent in J. terrae NBRC 107853^T but were present in some other members of genus.

Conclusions

Genome annotations of J. melonis CD11-4 revealed that it contained similar or more virulence repertoire like J. terrae NBRC 107853^T. Like other gut pathogens, J. melonis possesses key virulence determinant genes for antibiotic resistance, invasion, adhesion, biofilm formation, iron acquisition and to cope with stress response, thereby indicating that strain J. melonis CD11-4 could be a gut pathogen.

Genome Sequence of Kocuria polaris Strain CD08_4, an Isolate from the Duodenal Mucosa of a Celiac Disease Patient

We report here the 3.8-Mb genome sequence of Kocuria polaris strain CD08_4, an isolate from the duodenal mucosa of a celiac disease patient. The genome consists of specific virulence determinant genes, antibiotic resistance genes, genes for coping with oxidative stress, and genes responsible for iron acquisition and metabolism, suggestive of its pathogenic attributes.

Genome Insight and Comparative Pathogenomic Analysis of Nesterenkonia jeotgali Strain CD08_7 Isolated from Duodenal Mucosa of Celiac Disease Patient

Species of the genus Nesterenkonia have been isolated from different ecological niches, especially from saline habitats and reported as weak human pathogens causing asymptomatic bacteraemia. Here, for the first time we are reporting the genome sequence and pathogenomic analysis of a strain designated as CD08_7 isolated from the duodenal mucosa of a celiac disease patient, identified as Nesterenkonia jeotgali. To date, only five strains of the genus Nesterenkonia (N. massiliensis strain NP1^T, Nesterenkonia sp. strain JCM 19054, Nesterenkonia sp. strain F and Nesterenkonia sp. strain AN1) have been whole genome sequenced and annotated. In the present study we have mapped and compared the virulence profile of N. jeotgali strain CD08_7 along with other reference genomes which showed some characteristic features that could contribute to pathogenicity. The RAST (Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology) based genome mining revealed more genes responsible for pathogenicity in strain CD08_7 when compared with the other four sequenced strains. The studied categories were resistance to antibiotic and toxic compounds, invasion and intracellular resistance, membrane transport, stress response, osmotic stress, oxidative stress, phages and prophages and iron acquisition. A total of 1431 protein-encoding genes were identified in the genome of strain CD08_7 among which 163 were predicted to contribute for pathogenicity. Out of 163 genes only 59 were common to other genome, which shows the higher levels of genetic richness in strain CD08_7 that may contribute to its functional versatility. This study provides a comprehensive analysis on genome of N. jeotgali strain CD08_7 and possibly indicates its importance as a clinical pathogen.