Comparative Phenotypic Analysis of theBordetella parapertussisIsolate Chosen for Genomic Sequencing

The genomes of three closely related bordetellae are currently being sequenced, thus providing an opportunity for comparative genomic approaches driven by an understanding of the comparative biology of these three bacteria. Although the other strains being sequenced are well studied, the strain ofBordetella parapertussischosen for sequencing is a recent human clinical isolate (strain 12822) that has yet to be characterized in detail. This investigation reports the first phenotypic characterization of this strain, which will likely become the prototype for this species in comparison with the prototype strains ofB. pertussis(Tohama I),B. bronchiseptica(RB50), and other isolates ofB. parapertussis. Multiple in vitro and in vivo assays distinguished each species.B. parapertussiswas more similar toB. bronchisepticathan toB. pertussisin many assays, including in BvgS signaling characteristics, presence of urease activity, regulation of urease expression by BvgAS, virulence in the respiratory tracts of immunocompromised mice, induction of anti-Bordetellaantibodies, and serum antimicrobial resistance. In other assays,B. parapertussiswas distinct from all other species (in pigment production) or more similar toB. pertussis(by lack of motility and cytotoxicity to a macrophage-like cell line). These results begin to provide phenotypes that can be related to genetic differences identified in the genomic sequences of bordetellae.