Genome Sequence of Fusobacterium nucleatum Strain W1481, a Possible New Subspecies Isolated from a Periodontal Pocket

Abstract

Fusobacterium nucleatum is a bacterial species commonly detected in dental plaque within the human oral cavity, with some strains associated with periodontal disease, one of the most common clinical bacterial infections in the human body. The exact mechanisms of its pathogenesis are still not completely understood. In this study, we present the genome sequence and annotation of F. nucleatum strain W1481, isolated from a periodontal pocket of a dental patient at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, the 16S rRNA gene sequencing of which showed it to be markedly different from the five previously named subspecies.

Comparative Genome Analysis ofFusobacterium nucleatum

“…The size of the sequenced genome of F. nucleatum W1481 was 2,477,971 bp, with a GC composition of 27.6%. About 2,163 coding sequences (CDSs) and 56 RNAs were predicted by RAST in W1481 ( Ang et al 2014 ). An illustration of genomic contents in the genome of W1481 is shown in figure 1 A .…”

“…In this study, we present a detailed genomic and comparative analysis of F. nucleatum W1481 (referred to hereafter as W1481), which was isolated from an 8-mm periodontal pocket in a patient with chronic periodontitis and was subsequently sequenced and reported by our group ( Ang et al 2014 ). An in-depth phylogenetic and comparative genomic analysis of this genome reconfirmed our initial assumption that W1481 belongs to F. nucleatum , but it is quite distinct from the other existing subspecies of F. nucleatum and is possibly a new subspecies.…”

Pangenomic Study of Fusobacterium nucleatum Reveals the Distribution of Pathogenic Genes and Functional Clusters at the Subspecies and Strain Levels

“…nucleatum and vincentii ( 36 ). Some newly discovered strains, such as W1481, do not belong to any of the 4 classic subspecies ( 37 , 38 ). However, pangenomic studies of the functional characteristics and differences among F. nucleatum strains are still rarely reported.…”