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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequences of Canadian epidemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains CMRSA3 and CMRSA6.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal complex 8 (CC8) sequence type 239 (ST239) represents a predominant hospital-associated MRSA sublineage present worldwide. The Canadian epidemic MRSA strains CMRSA3 and CMRSA6 are moderately virulent members of this group but are closely related to the highly virulent strain TW20. Whole-genome sequencing of CMRSA3 and CMRSA6 was conducted to identify genetic determinants associated with their virulence.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequence of a Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 612 isolate from an Australian horse.

Staphylococcus aureus is a serious pathogen of humans and animals. Multilocus sequence type 612 is dominant and highly virulent in South African hospitals but relatively uncommon elsewhere. We present the complete genome sequence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain SVH7513, isolated from a horse at a veterinary clinic in New South Wales, Australia.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Moving forward: recent developments for the ferret biomedical research model.

Since the initial report in 1911, the domestic ferret has become an invaluable biomedical research model. While widely recognized for its utility in influenza virus research, ferrets are used for a variety of infectious and noninfectious disease models due to the anatomical, metabolic, and physiological features they share with humans and their susceptibility to many human pathogens. However, there are limitations to the model that must be overcome for maximal utility for the scientific community. Here, we describe important recent advances that will accelerate biomedical research with this animal model. Copyright © 2018 Albrecht et al.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Meeting report: mobile genetic elements and genome plasticity 2018

The Mobile Genetic Elements and Genome Plasticity conference was hosted by Keystone Symposia in Santa Fe, NM USA, February 11–15, 2018. The organizers were Marlene Belfort, Evan Eichler, Henry Levin and Lynn Maquat. The goal of this conference was to bring together scientists from around the world to discuss the function of transposable elements and their impact on host species. Central themes of the meeting included recent innovations in genome analysis and the role of mobile DNA in disease and evolution. The conference included 200 scientists who participated in poster presentations, short talks selected from abstracts, and invited talks. A total of 58 talks were organized into eight sessions and two workshops. The topics varied from mechanisms of mobilization, to the structure of genomes and their defense strategies to protect against transposable elements.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Fast-SG: an alignment-free algorithm for hybrid assembly.

Long-read sequencing technologies are the ultimate solution for genome repeats, allowing near reference-level reconstructions of large genomes. However, long-read de novo assembly pipelines are computationally intense and require a considerable amount of coverage, thereby hindering their broad application to the assembly of large genomes. Alternatively, hybrid assembly methods that combine short- and long-read sequencing technologies can reduce the time and cost required to produce de novo assemblies of large genomes.Here, we propose a new method, called Fast-SG, that uses a new ultrafast alignment-free algorithm specifically designed for constructing a scaffolding graph using light-weight data structures. Fast-SG can construct the graph from either short or long reads. This allows the reuse of efficient algorithms designed for short-read data and permits the definition of novel modular hybrid assembly pipelines. Using comprehensive standard datasets and benchmarks, we show how Fast-SG outperforms the state-of-the-art short-read aligners when building the scaffoldinggraph and can be used to extract linking information from either raw or error-corrected long reads. We also show how a hybrid assembly approach using Fast-SG with shallow long-read coverage (5X) and moderate computational resources can produce long-range and accurate reconstructions of the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana (Ler-0) and human (NA12878).Fast-SG opens a door to achieve accurate hybrid long-range reconstructions of large genomes with low effort, high portability, and low cost.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequence of industrial biocontrol strain Paenibacillus polymyxa HY96-2 and further analysis of Its biocontrol mechanism.

Paenibacillus polymyxa (formerly known as Bacillus polymyxa) has been extensively studied for agricultural applications as a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium and is also an important biocontrol agent. Our team has developed the P. polymyxa strain HY96-2 from the tomato rhizosphere as the first microbial biopesticide based on P. polymyxa for controlling plant diseases around the world, leading to the commercialization of this microbial biopesticide in China. However, further research is essential for understanding its precise biocontrol mechanisms. In this paper, we report the complete genome sequence of HY96-2 and the results of a comparative genomic analysis between different P. polymyxa strains. The complete genome size of HY96-2 was found to be 5.75 Mb and 5207 coding sequences were predicted. HY96-2 was compared with seven other P. polymyxa strains for which complete genome sequences have been published, using phylogenetic tree, pan-genome, and nucleic acid co-linearity analysis. In addition, the genes and gene clusters involved in biofilm formation, antibiotic synthesis, and systemic resistance inducer production were compared between strain HY96-2 and two other strains, namely, SC2 and E681. The results revealed that all three of the P. polymyxa strains have the ability to control plant diseases via the mechanisms of colonization (biofilm formation), antagonism (antibiotic production), and induced resistance (systemic resistance inducer production). However, the variation of the corresponding genes or gene clusters between the three strains may lead to different antimicrobial spectra and biocontrol efficacies. Two possible pathways of biofilm formation in P. polymyxa were reported for the first time after searching the KEGG database. This study provides a scientific basis for the further optimization of the field applications and quality standards of industrial microbial biopesticides based on HY96-2. It may also serve as a reference for studying the differences in antimicrobial spectra and biocontrol capability between different biocontrol agents.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequence of the halophile bacterium Kushneria konosiri X49T, isolated from salt-fermented Konosirus punctatus

Kushneria konosiri X49T is a member of the Halomonadaceae family within the order Oceanospirillales and can be isolated from salt-fermented larval gizzard shad. The genome of K. konosiri X49T reported here provides a genetic basis for its halophilic character. Diverse genes were involved in salt-in and -out strategies enabling adaptation of X49T to hypersaline environments. Due to resistance to high salt concentrations, genome research of K. konosiri X49T will contribute to the improvement of environmental and biotechnological usage by enhancing understanding of the osmotic equilibrium in the cytoplasm. Its genome consists of 3,584,631 bp, with an average Gthinspace+thinspaceC content of 59.1%, and 3261 coding sequences, 12 rRNAs, 66 tRNAs, and 8 miscRNAs.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Comparative genomic analysis of Staphylococcus lugdunensis shows a closed pan-genome and multiple barriers to horizontal gene transfer.

Coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) are commensal bacteria on human skin. Staphylococcus lugdunensis is a unique CoNS which produces various virulence factors and may, like S. aureus, cause severe infections, particularly in hospital settings. Unlike other staphylococci, it remains highly susceptible to antimicrobials, and genome-based phylogenetic studies have evidenced a highly conserved genome that distinguishes it from all other staphylococci.We demonstrate that S. lugdunensis possesses a closed pan-genome with a very limited number of new genes, in contrast to other staphylococci that have an open pan-genome. Whole-genome nucleotide and amino acid identity levels are also higher than in other staphylococci. We identified numerous genetic barriers to horizontal gene transfer that might explain this result. The S. lugdunensis genome has multiple operons encoding for restriction-modification, CRISPR/Cas and toxin/antitoxin systems. We also identified a new PIN-like domain-associated protein that might belong to a larger operon, comprising a metalloprotease, that could function as a new toxin/antitoxin or detoxification system.We show that S. lugdunensis has a unique genome profile within staphylococci, with a closed pan-genome and several systems to prevent horizontal gene transfer. Its virulence in clinical settings does not rely on its ability to acquire and exchange antibiotic resistance genes or other virulence factors as shown for other staphylococci.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequence of biofilm-producing strain Staphylococcus xylosus S170

Here we report the complete genome sequence of Staphylococcus xylosus S170, strong biofilm-producing strain, which comprised a single circular 2,910,005 bp chromosome and 32.97% G + C content. The genome included 2,674 protein-coding sequences, 22 rRNA genes, and 57 tRNA genes. Gene analysis of S. xylosus S170 could contribute to better understanding of biofilm-forming mechanisms.

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July 7, 2019  |  

Complete genome sequence of soil actinobacteria Streptomyces cavourensis TJ430.

A new actinobacteria Streptomyces cavourensis TJ430 was isolated from the mountain soil collected from the southwest of China. In previous study, TJ430 showed striking bactericidal activities and strong ability of antibiotic production. Here, we report complete genome of this bacterium, consisting of 7.6?Mb linear chromosome and 0.2?Mb plasmids. It was predicted 6450 genes in chromosome and 225 genes in plasmids, as well as 12 gene islands in chromosome. Abundant genes have predicted functions in antibiotic metabolism and stress resistance. A whole-genome comparison of S. cavourensis TJ430, S. coelicolor A3(2), and S. lividans 66 indicates that TJ430 has a relatively high degree of strain specificity. The 16S rRNA phylogenetic tree shows the high identities (99.79%) of TJ430 with S. cavourensis DSM40300. TJ430 is a new and rare Streptomyces species, and analysis of its genome helps us to better understand primary metabolism mechanism of this isolate, as well as the evolutionary biology.© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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July 7, 2019  |  

One complete and three draft genome sequences of four Brochothrix thermosphacta strains, CD 337, TAP 175, BSAS1 3 and EBP 3070.

Brochothrix thermosphacta is one of the dominant bacterial species associated with spoilage of chilled meat and seafood products through the production of various metabolites responsible for off-odors. However, metabolic pathways leading to meat and seafood spoilage are not all well known. The production of spoiling molecules seems to depend both on strains and on food matrix. Several B. thermosphacta genome sequences have been reported, all issued from meat isolates. Here, we report four genome sequences, one complete and three as drafts. The four B. thermosphacta strains CD 337, TAP 175, BSAS1 3, and EBP 3070 were isolated from different ecological niches (seafood or meat products either spoiled or not and bovine slaughterhouse). These strains known as phenotypically and genetically different were selected to represent intraspecies diversity. CD 337 genome is 2,594,337 bp long, complete and circular, containing 2593 protein coding sequences and 28 RNA genes. TAP 175, BSAS1 3, and EBP 3070 genomes are arranged in 57, 83, and 71 contigs, containing 2515, 2668, and 2611 protein-coding sequences, respectively. These genomes were compared with two other B. thermosphacta complete genome sequences. The main genome content differences between strains are phages, plasmids, restriction/modification systems, and cell surface functions, suggesting a similar metabolic potential but a different niche adaptation capacity.

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July 7, 2019  |  

The ß-lactamase gene profile and a plasmid-carrying multiple heavy metal resistance genes of Enterobacter cloacae.

In this work, by high-throughput sequencing, antibiotic resistance genes, including class A (blaCTX-M, blaZ, blaTEM, blaVEB, blaKLUC, and blaSFO), class C (blaSHV, blaDHA, blaMIR, blaAZECL-29, and blaACT), and class D (blaOXA) ß-lactamase genes, were identified among the pooled genomic DNA from 212 clinical Enterobacter cloacae isolates. Six blaMIR-positive E. cloacae strains were identified, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) showed that these strains were not clonally related. The complete genome of the blaMIR-positive strain (Y546) consisted of both a chromosome (4.78?Mb) and a large plasmid pY546 (208.74?kb). The extended-spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) (blaSHV-12 and blaCTX-M-9a) and AmpC (blaMIR) were encoded on the chromosome, and the pY546 plasmid contained several clusters of genes conferring resistance to metals, such as copper (pco), arsenic (ars), tellurite (ter), and tetrathionate (ttr), and genes encoding many divalent cation transporter proteins. The comparative genomic analyses of the whole plasmid sequence and of the heavy metal resistance gene-encoding regions revealed that the plasmid sequences of Klebsiella pneumoniae (such as pKPN-332, pKPN-3967, and pKPN-262) shared the highest similarity with those of pY546. It may be concluded that a variety of ß-lactamase genes present in E. cloacae which confer resistance to ß-lactam antibiotics and the emergence of plasmids carrying heavy metal resistance genes in clinical isolates are alarming and need further surveillance.

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