1. Genome analysis of multiple pathogenic isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae: implications for the microbial 'pan-genome'
- Author
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Jeremy D. Selengut, Robert T. DeBoy, Lauren M. Brinkac, Christopher R. Hauser, Maria Scarselli, Rino Rappuoli, M. J. Rosovitz, Tanja M. Davidsen, George Dimitrov, Craig E. Rubens, Steven A. Sullivan, Claudio Donati, Naomi L. Ward, Michael J. Cieslewicz, Amanda L. Jones, Lawrence C. Madoff, Immaculada Margarit Y Ros, Hoda Khouri, Guido Grandi, Jaideep P. Sundaram, Shannon Smith, Michael R. Wessels, Liwei Zhou, William C. Nelson, Hervé Tettelin, Dennis L. Kasper, Jeremy Peterson, Samuel V. Angiuoli, Daniel H. Haft, Nikhat Zafar, Vega Masignani, Sean C. Daugherty, Jonathan Crabtree, Claire M. Fraser, Marirosa Mora, Kisha Watkins, Owen White, John L. Telford, A. Scott Durkin, Robert J. Dodson, Kevin J. B. O'Connor, Duccio Medini, Teresa Utterback, Michelle L. Gwinn, Diana Radune, and Ramana Madupu
- Subjects
group B Streptococcus ,AD-HOC-COMMITTEE ,Sequence analysis ,GENE IDENTIFICATION ,Molecular Sequence Data ,VACCINE ,PROTEIN ,Gene Expression ,comparative genomics ,Biology ,medicine.disease_cause ,Genome ,SEQUENCE ,DNA sequencing ,GROUP-B STREPTOCOCCUS ,Streptococcus agalactiae ,medicine ,BACILLUS-ANTHRACIS ,bacterial species ,Amino Acid Sequence ,Gene ,PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES ,Bacterial Capsules ,Phylogeny ,Comparative genomics ,Genetics ,Multidisciplinary ,Base Sequence ,Virulence ,Pan-genome ,Genetic Variation ,Genome project ,Sequence Analysis, DNA ,SPECIES DEFINITION ,Biological Sciences ,Genes, Bacterial ,SEROTYPE ,Sequence Alignment ,Genome, Bacterial - Abstract
The development of efficient and inexpensive genome sequencing methods has revolutionized the study of human bacterial pathogens and improved vaccine design. Unfortunately, the sequence of a single genome does not reflect how genetic variability drives pathogenesis within a bacterial species and also limits genome-wide screens for vaccine candidates or for antimicrobial targets. We have generated the genomic sequence of six strains representing the five major disease-causing serotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae , the main cause of neonatal infection in humans. Analysis of these genomes and those available in databases showed that the S. agalactiae species can be described by a pan-genome consisting of a core genome shared by all isolates, accounting for ≈80% of any single genome, plus a dispensable genome consisting of partially shared and strain-specific genes. Mathematical extrapolation of the data suggests that the gene reservoir available for inclusion in the S. agalactiae pan-genome is vast and that unique genes will continue to be identified even after sequencing hundreds of genomes.
- Published
- 2005