Menu
July 7, 2019

Methicillin-susceptible, vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Brazil.

We report characterization of a methicillin-susceptible, vancomycin-resistant bloodstream isolate of Staphylococcus aureus recovered from a patient in Brazil. Emergence of vancomycin resistance in methicillin-susceptible S. aureus would indicate that this resistance trait might be poised to disseminate more rapidly among S. aureus and represents a major public health threat.


July 7, 2019

First detection of Klebsiella variicola producing OXA-181 carbapenemase in fresh vegetable imported from Asia to Switzerland.

The emergence and worldwide spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae is of great concern to public health services. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in fresh vegetables and spices imported from Asia to Switzerland.Twenty-two different fresh vegetable samples were purchased in March 2015 from different retail shops specializing in Asian food. The vegetables included basil leaves, bergamont leaves, coriander, curry leaves, eggplant and okra (marrow). Samples had been imported from Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and India. After an initial enrichment-step, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from two carbapenem-containing selective media (SUPERCARBA II and Brilliance CRE Agar). Isolates were screened by PCR for the presence of bla KPC, bla NDM, bla OXA-48-like and bla VIM. An OXA-181-producing Klebsiella variicola was isolated in a coriander sample with origin Thailand/Vietnam. The bla OXA-181 gene was encoded in a 14’027 bp region flanked by two IS26-like elements on a 51-kb IncX3-type plasmid.The results of this study suggest that the international production and trade of fresh vegetables constitute a possible route for the spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. The presence of carbapenemase-producing organisms in the food supply is alarming and an important food safety issue.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome of the marine bacterium Wenzhouxiangella marina KCTC 42284(T).

Wenzhouxiangella marina is an obligatory aerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium that was isolated from the culture broth of marine microalgae, Picochlorum sp. 122. Here we report the 3.67 MB complete genome (65.26 G+C%) of W. marina KCTC 42284(T) encoding 3,016 protein-coding genes, 43 tRNAs and one rRNA operon. The genomic information supports multiple horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events in the history of W. marina, possibly with other marine bacteria co-existing in marine habitats. Evaluation of genomic signatures revealed 19 such HGT-derived genomic islands. Of these, eight were also supported by “genomic context” that refers to the existence of integrases, transposases and tmRNA genes either inside or in near vicinity to the island. The addition of W. marina genome expands the repertoire of marine bacterial genomic diversity, especially because the strain represents the sole genomic resource of a novel taxonomic family in the bacterial order Chromatiales. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of the Clostridium difficile type strain DSM 1296T.

In this study, we sequenced the complete genome of the Clostridium difficile type strain DSM 1296(T). A combination of single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing technology revealed the presence of one chromosome and two extrachromosomal elements, the bacteriophage phiCDIF1296T and a putative plasmid-like structure harboring genes of another bacteriophage. Copyright © 2015 Riedel et al.


July 7, 2019

Population genomics reveals additive and replacing horizontal gene transfers in the emerging pathogen Dickeya solani.

Dickeya solani is an emerging pathogen that causes soft rot and blackleg diseases in several crops including Solanum tuberosum, but little is known about its genomic diversity and evolution.We combined Illumina and PacBio technologies to complete the genome sequence of D. solani strain 3337 that was used as a reference to compare with 19 other genomes (including that of the type strain IPO2222(T)) which were generated by Illumina technology. This population genomic analysis highlighted an unexpected variability among D. solani isolates since it led to the characterization of two distinct sub-groups within the D. solani species. This approach also revealed different types of variations such as scattered SNP/InDel variations as well as replacing and additive horizontal gene transfers (HGT). Infra-species (between the two D. solani sub-groups) and inter-species (between D. solani and D. dianthicola) replacing HGTs were observed. Finally, this work pointed that genetic and functional variation in the motility trait could contribute to aggressiveness variability in D. solani.This work revealed that D. solani genomic variability may be caused by SNPs/InDels as well as replacing and additive HGT events, including plasmid acquisition; hence the D. solani genomes are more dynamic than that were previously proposed. This work alerts on precautions in molecular diagnosis of this emerging pathogen.


July 7, 2019

Role of restriction-modification systems in prokaryotic evolution and ecology

Restriction–modification (R-M) systems are able to methylate or cleave DNA depending on methylation status of their recognition site. It allows them to protect bacterial cells from invasion by foreign DNA. Comparative analysis of a large number of available bacterial genomes and methylomes clearly demonstrates that the role of R-M systems in bacteria is wider than only defense. R-M systems maintain heterogeneity of a bacterial population and are involved in adaptation of bacteria to change in their environmental conditions. R-M systems can be essential for host colonization by pathogenic bacteria. Phase variation and intragenomic recombinations are sources of the fast evolution of the specificity of R-M systems. This review focuses on the influence of R-M systems on evolution and ecology of prokaryotes.


July 7, 2019

High-quality permanent draft genome sequence of the Lebeckia ambigua-nodulating Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176.

Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod that was isolated from an effective N2-fixing root nodule of Lebeckia ambigua collected in Nieuwoudtville, Western Cape of South Africa, in October 2007. This plant persists in infertile, acidic and deep sandy soils, and is therefore an ideal candidate for a perennial based agriculture system in Western Australia. Here we describe the features of Burkholderia sp. strain WSM4176, which represents a potential inoculant quality strain for L. ambigua, together with sequence and annotation. The 9,065,247 bp high-quality-draft genome is arranged in 13 scaffolds of 65 contigs, contains 8369 protein-coding genes and 128 RNA-only encoding genes, and is part of the GEBA-RNB project proposal (Project ID 882).


July 7, 2019

Genome sequence of Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius DSM2542, a platform hosts for biotechnological applications with industrial potential.

Thermophilic Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius could ferment a wide range of substrates with low nutrient requirements for growth. Here, the first released the complete genome sequence of G. thermoglucosidasius DSM2542 may facilitate the design of rational strategies for further strain improvements and provide information for exploring industrially interesting enzymes with thermotolerant properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum KCTC 12200BP, a probiotic strain promoting the intestinal health.

Bifidobacteria constitute a major group of beneficial intestinal bacteria, and are therefore often used to formulate probiotic products in combination with lactic acid bacteria. The availability of bifidobacterial genome sequences has broadened our knowledge on health-promoting factors as well as their safety assessments. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of Bifidobacterium longum CBT BG7 that consists of a 2.45-Mb chromosome and a plasmid. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.


July 7, 2019

A full genomic characterization of the development of a stable Small Colony Variant cell-type by a clinical Staphylococcus aureus strain.

A key to persistent and recurrent Staphylococcus aureus infections is its ability to adapt to diverse and toxic conditions. This ability includes a switch into a biofilm or to the quasi-dormant Small Colony Variant (SCV). The development and molecular attributes of SCVs have been difficult to study due to their rapid reversion to their parental cell-type. We recently described the unique induction of a matrix-embedded and stable SCV cell-type in a clinical S. aureus strain (WCH-SK2) by growing the cells with limiting conditions for a prolonged timeframe. Here we further study their characteristics. They possessed an increased viability in the presence of antibiotics compared to their non-SCV form. Their stability implied that there had been genetic changes; we therefore determined both the genome sequence of WCH-SK2 and its stable SCV form at a single base resolution, employing Single Molecular Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing that enabled the methylome to also be determined. The genetic features of WCH-SK2 have been identified; the SCCmec type, the pathogenicity and genetic islands and virulence factors. The genetic changes that had occurred in the stable SCV form were identified; most notably being in MgrA, a global regulator, and RsbU, a phosphoserine phosphatase within the regulatory pathway of the sigma factor SigB. There was a shift in the methylomes of the non-SCV and stable SCV forms. We have also shown a similar induction of this cell-type in other S. aureus strains and performed a genetic comparison to these and other S. aureus genomes. We additionally map RNAseq data to the WCH-SK2 genome in a transcriptomic analysis of the parental, SCV and stable SCV cells. The results from this study represent the unique identification of a suite of epigenetic, genetic and transcriptional factors that are implicated in the switch in S. aureus to its persistent SCV form. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Talk with an expert

If you have a question, need to check the status of an order, or are interested in purchasing an instrument, we're here to help.