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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of functionally diverse Lysinibacillus sphaericus III(3)7.

Lysinibacillus sphaericus III(3)7 is a native Colombian strain, the first one isolated from soil samples. This strain has shown high levels of pathogenic activity against Culex quinquefaciatus larvae in laboratory assays compared to other members of the same species. Using Pacific Biosciences sequencing technology we sequenced, annotated (de novo) and described the genome of strain III(3)7, achieving a complete genome sequence status. We then performed a comparative analysis between the newly sequenced genome and the ones previously reported for Colombian isolates L. sphaericus OT4b.31, CBAM5 and OT4b.25, with the inclusion of L. sphaericus C3-41 that has been used as a reference genome for most of previous genome sequencing projects. We concluded that L. sphaericus III(3)7 is highly similar with strain OT4b.25 and shares high levels of synteny with isolates CBAM5 and C3-41.


July 7, 2019

Draft genome sequence of an inbred line of Chenopodium quinoa, an allotetraploid crop with great environmental adaptability and outstanding nutritional properties.

Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (quinoa) originated from the Andean region of South America, and is a pseudocereal crop of the Amaranthaceae family. Quinoa is emerging as an important crop with the potential to contribute to food security worldwide and is considered to be an optimal food source for astronauts, due to its outstanding nutritional profile and ability to tolerate stressful environments. Furthermore, plant pathologists use quinoa as a representative diagnostic host to identify virus species. However, molecular analysis of quinoa is limited by its genetic heterogeneity due to outcrossing and its genome complexity derived from allotetraploidy. To overcome these obstacles, we established the inbred and standard quinoa accession Kd that enables rigorous molecular analysis, and presented the draft genome sequence of Kd, using an optimized combination of high-throughput next generation sequencing on the Illumina Hiseq 2500 and PacBio RS II sequencers. The de novo genome assembly contained 25 k scaffolds consisting of 1 Gbp with N50 length of 86 kbp. Based on these data, we constructed the free-access Quinoa Genome DataBase (QGDB). Thus, these findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying agronomically important traits of quinoa and the effect of allotetraploidy on genome evolution. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.


July 7, 2019

Interspecies dissemination of a mobilizable plasmid harboring blaIMP-19: the possibility of horizontal gene transfer in a single patient.

Carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacilli have been a global concern over the past 2 decades because these organisms can cause severe infections with high mortality rates. Carbapenemase genes are often carried by mobile genetic elements, and resistance plasmids can be transferred through conjugation. We conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to demonstrate that the same plasmid harboring a metallo-ß-lactamase gene was detected in two different species isolated from a single patient. Metallo-ß-lactamase-producing Achromobacter xylosoxidans (KUN4507), non-metallo-ß-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KUN4843), and metallo-ß-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae (KUN5033) were sequentially isolated from a single patient and then analyzed in this study. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, molecular typing (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multilocus sequence typing), and conjugation analyses were performed by conventional methods. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analysis of K. pneumoniae isolates were performed with WGS, and the nucleotide sequences of plasmids detected from these isolates were determined using WGS. Conventional molecular typing revealed that KUN4843 and KUN5033 were identical, whereas the phylogenetic tree analysis revealed a slight difference. These two isolates were separated from the most recent common ancestor 0.74 years before they were isolated. The same resistance plasmid harboring blaIMP-19 was detected in metallo-ß-lactamase-producing A. xylosoxidans and K. pneumoniae Although this plasmid was not self-transferable, the conjugation of this plasmid from A. xylosoxidans to non-metallo-ß-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae was successfully performed. The susceptibility patterns for metallo-ß-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae and the transconjugant were similar. These findings supported the possibility of the horizontal transfer of plasmid-borne blaIMP-19 from A. xylosoxidans to K. pneumoniae in a single patient.


July 7, 2019

Whole-genome sequence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BAMCPA07-48, isolated from a combat injury wound.

We report here the complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BAMCPA07-48, isolated from a combat injury wound. The closed genome sequence of this isolate is a valuable resource for pathogenome characterization of P. aeruginosa associated with wounds, which will aid in the development of a higher-resolution phylogenomic framework for molecular-guided pathogen-surveillance. Copyright © 2016 Sanjar et al.


July 7, 2019

Vibrio anguillarum is genetically and phenotypically unaffected by long-term continuous exposure to the antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid.

Minimizing the use of antibiotics in the food production chain is essential for limiting the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One alternative intervention strategy is the use of probiotic bacteria, and bacteria of the marine Roseobacter clade are capable of antagonizing fish-pathogenic vibrios in fish larvae and live feed cultures for fish larvae. The antibacterial compound tropodithietic acid (TDA), an antiporter that disrupts the proton motive force, is key in the antibacterial activity of several roseobacters. Introducing probiotics on a larger scale requires understanding of any potential side effects of long-term exposure of the pathogen to the probionts or any compounds they produce. Here we exposed the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum to TDA for several hundred generations in an adaptive evolution experiment. No tolerance or resistance arose during the 90 days of exposure, and whole-genome sequencing of TDA-exposed lineages and clones revealed few mutational changes, compared to lineages grown without TDA. Amino acid-changing mutations were found in two to six different genes per clone; however, no mutations appeared unique to the TDA-exposed lineages or clones. None of the virulence genes of V. anguillarum was affected, and infectivity assays using fish cell lines indicated that the TDA-exposed lineages and clones were less invasive than the wild-type strain. Thus, long-term TDA exposure does not appear to result in TDA resistance and the physiology of V. anguillarum appears unaffected, supporting the application of TDA-producing roseobacters as probiotics in aquaculture.It is important to limit the use of antibiotics in our food production, to reduce the risk of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance. We showed previously that marine bacteria of the Roseobacter clade can prevent or reduce bacterial diseases in fish larvae, acting as probiotics. Roseobacters produce the antimicrobial compound tropodithietic acid (TDA), and we were concerned regarding whether long-term exposure to this compound could induce resistance or affect the disease-causing ability of the fish pathogen. Therefore, we exposed the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum to increasing TDA concentrations over 3 months. We did not see the development of any resistance to TDA, and subsequent infection assays revealed that none of the TDA-exposed clones had increased virulence toward fish cells. Hence, this study supports the use of roseobacters as a non-risk-based disease control measure in aquaculture. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.


July 7, 2019

Recombination rate heterogeneity within Arabidopsis disease resistance genes.

Meiotic crossover frequency varies extensively along chromosomes and is typically concentrated in hotspots. As recombination increases genetic diversity, hotspots are predicted to occur at immunity genes, where variation may be beneficial. A major component of plant immunity is recognition of pathogen Avirulence (Avr) effectors by resistance (R) genes that encode NBS-LRR domain proteins. Therefore, we sought to test whether NBS-LRR genes would overlap with meiotic crossover hotspots using experimental genetics in Arabidopsis thaliana. NBS-LRR genes tend to physically cluster in plant genomes; for example, in Arabidopsis most are located in large clusters on the south arms of chromosomes 1 and 5. We experimentally mapped 1,439 crossovers within these clusters and observed NBS-LRR gene associated hotspots, which were also detected as historical hotspots via analysis of linkage disequilibrium. However, we also observed NBS-LRR gene coldspots, which in some cases correlate with structural heterozygosity. To study recombination at the fine-scale we used high-throughput sequencing to analyze ~1,000 crossovers within the RESISTANCE TO ALBUGO CANDIDA1 (RAC1) R gene hotspot. This revealed elevated intragenic crossovers, overlapping nucleosome-occupied exons that encode the TIR, NBS and LRR domains. The highest RAC1 recombination frequency was promoter-proximal and overlapped CTT-repeat DNA sequence motifs, which have previously been associated with plant crossover hotspots. Additionally, we show a significant influence of natural genetic variation on NBS-LRR cluster recombination rates, using crosses between Arabidopsis ecotypes. In conclusion, we show that a subset of NBS-LRR genes are strong hotspots, whereas others are coldspots. This reveals a complex recombination landscape in Arabidopsis NBS-LRR genes, which we propose results from varying coevolutionary pressures exerted by host-pathogen relationships, and is influenced by structural heterozygosity.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequences of three outbreak-associated Legionella pneumophila isolates.

We report here the complete genome sequences of three Legionella pneumophila isolates that are associated with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York in 2012. Two clinical isolates (D7630 and D7632) and one environmental isolate (D7631) were recovered from this outbreak. A single isolate-specific virulence gene was found in D7632. These isolates were included in a large study evaluating the genomic resolution of various bioinformatics approaches for L. pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates. Copyright © 2016 Morrison et al.


July 7, 2019

Homologous recombination within large chromosomal regions facilitates acquisition of beta-lactam and vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecium.

The transfer of DNA between Enterococcus faecium strains has been characterized by both the movement of well-defined genetic elements and by the large-scale transfer of genomic DNA fragments. In this work we report on the whole genome analysis of transconjugants resulting from mating events between the vancomycin-resistant E. faecium C68 strain and vancomycin susceptible D344RRF to discern the mechanism by which the transferred regions enter the recipient chromosome. Vancomycin-resistant transconjugants from five independent matings were analysed by whole genome sequencing. In all cases but one, the penicillin binding protein 5 gene (pbp5) and the Tn5382-vancomycin resistance transposon were transferred together and replaced the corresponding pbp5 region of D344RRF. In one instance, Tn5382 inserted independently downstream of the D344RRF pbp5 Single nucleotide variants (SNV) analysis suggests that entry of donor DNA into the recipient chromosome occurred by recombination across regions of homology between donor and recipient chromosomes, rather than through insertion sequence-mediated transposition. Transfer of genomic DNA was also associated with transfer of C68 plasmid pLRM23 and another putative plasmid. Our data are consistent with transfer initiated by a cointegration of a transferable plasmid with the donor chromosome, with subsequent circularization of the plasmid/chromosome cointegrate in the donor prior to transfer. Entry into the recipient chromosome occurs most commonly across regions of homology between donor and recipient chromosomes. Copyright © 2016 García-Solache et al.


July 7, 2019

Cloche is a bHLH-PAS transcription factor that drives haemato-vascular specification.

Vascular and haematopoietic cells organize into specialized tissues during early embryogenesis to supply essential nutrients to all organs and thus play critical roles in development and disease. At the top of the haemato-vascular specification cascade lies cloche, a gene that when mutated in zebrafish leads to the striking phenotype of loss of most endothelial and haematopoietic cells and a significant increase in cardiomyocyte numbers. Although this mutant has been analysed extensively to investigate mesoderm diversification and differentiation and continues to be broadly used as a unique avascular model, the isolation of the cloche gene has been challenging due to its telomeric location. Here we used a deletion allele of cloche to identify several new cloche candidate genes within this genomic region, and systematically genome-edited each candidate. Through this comprehensive interrogation, we succeeded in isolating the cloche gene and discovered that it encodes a PAS-domain-containing bHLH transcription factor, and that it is expressed in a highly specific spatiotemporal pattern starting during late gastrulation. Gain-of-function experiments show that it can potently induce endothelial gene expression. Epistasis experiments reveal that it functions upstream of etv2 and tal1, the earliest expressed endothelial and haematopoietic transcription factor genes identified to date. A mammalian cloche orthologue can also rescue blood vessel formation in zebrafish cloche mutants, indicating a highly conserved role in vertebrate vasculogenesis and haematopoiesis. The identification of this master regulator of endothelial and haematopoietic fate enhances our understanding of early mesoderm diversification and may lead to improved protocols for the generation of endothelial and haematopoietic cells in vivo and in vitro.


July 7, 2019

Comparative genomic analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae KP617 and PittNDM01, NUHL24835, and ATCC BAA-2146 reveals unique evolutionary history of this strain.

Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae KP617 is a pathogenic strain that coproduces OXA-232 and NDM-1 carbapenemases. We sequenced the genome of KP617, which was isolated from the wound of a Korean burn patient, and performed a comparative genomic analysis with three additional strains: PittNDM01, NUHL24835 and ATCC BAA-2146.The complete genome of KP617 was obtained via multi-platform whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis along with whole genome and multi-locus sequence typing of genes of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species showed that KP617 belongs to the WGLW2 group, which includes PittNDM01 and NUHL24835. Comparison of annotated genes showed that KP617 shares 98.3 % of its genes with PittNDM01. Nineteen antibiotic resistance genes were identified in the KP617 genome: bla OXA-1 and bla SHV-28 in the chromosome, bla NDM-1 in plasmid 1, and bla OXA-232 in plasmid 2 conferred resistance to beta-lactams; however, colistin- and tetracycline-resistance genes were not found. We identified 117 virulence factors in the KP617 genome, and discovered that the genes encoding these factors were also harbored by the reference strains; eight genes were lipopolysaccharide-related and four were capsular polysaccharide-related. A comparative analysis of phage-associated regions indicated that two phage regions are specific to the KP617 genome and that prophages did not act as a vehicle for transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes in this strain.Whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed similarity in the genome sequences and content, and differences in phage-related genes, plasmids and antimicrobial resistance genes between KP617 and the references. In order to elucidate the precise role of these factors in the pathogenicity of KP617, further studies are required.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Bacillus velezensis CBMB205, a phosphate-solubilizing bacterium isolated from the rhizoplane of rice in the Republic of Korea.

Bacillus velezensis CBMB205 (= KACC 13105(T) = NCCB 100236(T)) was isolated from the rhizoplane of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. O-dae). According to previous studies, this bacterium has several genes that can promote plant growth, such as the phosphorus-solubilizing protein-coding gene. Here, we present the first complete genome of B. velezensis CBMB205. Copyright © 2016 Hwangbo et al.


July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Psychrobacter alimentarius PAMC 27889, a psychrophile isolated from an Antarctic rock sample.

Psychrobacter alimentarius PAMC 27889, a Gram-negative, psychrophilic bacterium, was isolated from an Antarctic rock sample. Here, we report the complete genome of P. alimentarius PAMC 27889, which has the nonmevalonate methylerythritol phosphate pathway of terpenoid biosynthesis and a complete gene cluster for benzoate degradation. Copyright © 2016 Lee et al.


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