Complete Genome and Transcriptomes of Streptococcus parasanguinis FW213: Phylogenic Relations and Potential Virulence Mechanisms

Abstract

Streptococcus parasanguinis, a primary colonizer of the tooth surface, is also an opportunistic pathogen for subacute endocarditis. The complete genome of strain FW213 was determined using the traditional shotgun sequencing approach and further refined by the transcriptomes of cells in early exponential and early stationary growth phases in this study. The transcriptomes also discovered 10 transcripts encoding known hypothetical proteins, one pseudogene, five transcripts matched to the Rfam and additional 87 putative small RNAs within the intergenic regions defined by the GLIMMER analysis. The genome contains five acquired genomic islands (GIs) encoding proteins which potentially contribute to the overall pathogenic capacity and fitness of this microbe. The differential expression of the GIs and various open reading frames outside the GIs at the two growth phases suggested that FW213 possess a range of mechanisms to avoid host immune clearance, to colonize host tissues, to survive within oral biofilms and to overcome various environmental insults. Furthermore, the comparative genome analysis of five S. parasanguinis strains indicates that albeit S. parasanguinis strains are highly conserved, variations in the genome content exist. These variations may reflect differences in pathogenic potential between the strains.

Sputum Microbiota in Tuberculosis as Revealed by 16S rRNA Pyrosequencing

“…S. parasanguinis is a member of the viridans streptococci that constitute the major population of the human oral microbiota. It is also one of the early colonizers of the tooth surface [29]. OTU 7204 is most similar to S. salivarius and was of relatively comparable abundance in Streptococcus in both groups.…”

Tn 5253 Family Integrative and Conjugative Elements Carrying mef (I) and catQ Determinants in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes

“…In S. pneumoniae ATCC 700669 and in ICESp23FST81, the same cluster is found in the pathogenicity island PPI-1 (13). The product of orf7 shows 99% amino acid identity to a protein encoded by a gene of the pathogenicity island FWisland_1 of S. parasanguinis (25). orf8 and orf9 code for a toxin-antitoxin (TA) system.…”

A Consortium of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus parasanguinis, and Filifactor alocis Is Present in Sites Prior to Bone Loss in a Longitudinal Study of Localized Aggressive Periodontitis

“…parasanguinis, as a viridans group streptococcus, has been associated with endocarditis and oral biofilm formation but has not been considered a periodontal pathogen or member of a periodontopathic complex (43). It has been shown previously that A. actinomycetemcomitans can participate in a trophic food chain with viridans group streptococci (44).…”