Complete Genome Sequence of Yersinia pestis Strains Antiqua andNepal516: Evidence of Gene Reduction in an Emerging Pathogen
Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of bubonic andpneumonicplague, has undergone detailed study at the molecular level. Tofurther investigate the genomic diversity among this group and to helpcharacterize lineages of the plague organism that have no sequencedmembers, we present here the genomes of two isolates of the "classical"Antiqua biovar, strains Antiqua and Nepal516. The genomes of Antiqua andNepal516 are 4.7 Mb and 4.5 Mb and encode 4,138 and 3,956 open readingframes respectively. Though both strains belong to one of the threeclassical biovars, they represent separate lineages defined by recentphylogenetic studies. We compare all five currently sequenced Y. pestisgenomes and the corresponding features in Y. pseudotuberculosis. Thereare strain-specific rearrangements, insertions, deletions, singlenucleotide polymorphisms and a unique distribution of insertionsequences. We found 453 single nucleotide polymorphisms in protein codingregions, which were used to assess evolutionary relationships of these Y.pestis strains. Gene reduction analysis revealed that the gene deletionprocesses are under selective pressure and many of the inactivations areprobably related to the organism s interaction with its host environment.The results presented here clearly demonstrate the differences betweenthe two Antiqua lineages and support the notion that grouping Y. pestisstrains based strictly on the classical definition of biovars (predicatedupon two biochemical assays) does not accurately reflect the phylogeneticrelationships within this species. Comparison of four virulent Y. pestisstrains with the human-avirulent strain 91001 provides further insightinto the genetic basis of virulence to humans.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; Intelligence Technology Innovation Centergrant
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 917404
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-60248; JOBAAY; R&D Project: G4W0418; BnR: 600301010; TRN: US200816%%562
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Bacteriology, Vol. 188, Issue 12; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 2006; ISSN 0021-9193
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Pestoides F, an atypical Yersinia pestis strain from the former Soviet Union.
Pestoides F, and Atypical Yersinia pestis Strain from the Former Soviet Union