Although several Edwardsiella tarda infections have been reported, its
pathogenic role in marine mammals has not been investigated at the genome level. We
investigated the genome of E. tarda strain KC-Pc-HB1, isolated from the
false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) found bycaught in South Korea.
The obtained genome was similar to that of human pathogenic E. tarda
strains, but distinct from other Edwardsiella species. Although type III
and VI secretion systems, which are essential for the virulence of other
Edwardsiella species, were absent, several virulence-related genes
involved in the pathogenesis of E. tarda were found in the genome. These
results provide important insights into the E. tarda infecting marine
mammals and give valuable information on potential virulence factors in this pathogen.
The emergence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) strains of Morganella morganii is increasingly being recognized. Recently, we reported a fatal M. morganii infection in a captive bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) bred at a dolphinarium in South Korea. According to our subsequent investigations, the isolated M. morganii strain KC-Tt-01 exhibited extensive resistance to third-generation cephalosporins which have not been reported in animals. Therefore, in the present study, the genome of strain KC-Tt-01 was sequenced, and putative virulence and AMR genes were investigated. The strain had virulence and AMR genes similar to those of other M. morganii strains, including a strain that causes human sepsis. An amino-acid substitution detected at the 86th residue (Arg to Cys) of the protein encoded by ampR might explain the extended resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. These results indicate that the AMR M. morganii strain isolated from the captive dolphin has the potential to cause fatal zoonotic infections with antibiotic treatment failure due to extended drug resistance, and therefore, the management of antibiotic use and monitoring of the emergence of AMR bacteria are urgently needed in captive cetaceans for their health and conservation.
We report the complete mitogenome of the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis. Overall structure of the 16,387 bp mitogenome was very similar to those of other delphinid species, including the ancient D. delphis individuals. Multigene phylogeny revealed that D. delphis was most closely related to Stenella coeruleoalba, and clustered well with other species within the subfamily Delphininae.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.