Genomic analysis of four strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bv. Equi isolated from horses showing distinct signs of infection

Abstract

The genomes of four strains (MB11, MB14, MB30, and MB66) of the species Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi were sequenced on the Ion Torrent PGM platform, completely assembled, and their gene content and structure were analyzed. The strains were isolated from horses with distinct signs of infection, including ulcerative lymphangitis, external abscesses on the chest, or internal abscesses on the liver, kidneys, and lungs. The average size of the genomes was 2.3 Mbp, with 2169 (Strain MB11) to 2235 (Strain MB14) predicted coding sequences (CDSs). An optical map of the MB11 strain generated using the KpnI restriction enzyme showed that the approach used to assemble the genome was satisfactory, producing good alignment between the sequence observed in vitro and that obtained in silico. In the resulting Neighbor-Joining dendrogram, the C. pseudotuberculosis strains sequenced in this study were clustered into a single clade supported by a high bootstrap value. The structural analysis showed that the genomes of the MB11 and MB14 strains were very similar, while the MB30 and MB66 strains had several inverted regions. The observed genomic characteristics were similar to those described for other strains of the same species, despite the number of inversions found. These genomes will serve as a basis for determining the relationship between the genotype of the pathogen and the type of infection that it causes.

First genome sequencing and comparative analyses of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strains from Mexico

“…The respective percentages of the predicted coding regions are: 86.16% on MEX1, 86.33% on MEX9, 85.94% on MEX25 , 86.66% on MEX29 , 83.06% on MEX30 and 86.64% on MEX31 . These genome sizes and the G + C content (~ 52%) are consistent with other C. pseudotuberculosis studies [ 2 , 6 , 52 ]. There are 64 predicted RNA genes in strains of the biovar ovis (MEX1, MEX9, MEX25 and MEX29 ) and 66 from the biovar equi ( MEX30 and MEX31 ).…”

Pastern dermatitis outbreak associated with toxigenic and non‐toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae and non‐toxigenic Corynebacterium ulcerans at a horse stable in Finland, 2021

“…Other diphtheria‐like organisms identified in animals include biovar C. diphtheriae subsp. belfanti , C. ulcerans , C. rouxii , C. uterequi , and C. pseudotuberculosis (Baraúna et al., 2017; Corboz et al., 1996; Oliveira et al., 2014; Rückert et al., 2015; Schlez et al., 2021; Sing et al., 2016; Zendri et al., 2021). However, classic diphtheria is rare in animals.…”

Short Communication: Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Corynebacterium diphtheriae isolates from Jakarta, Indonesia based on partial rpoB gene

“…The varied DNA fragments are due to rpoB polymorphism among species (Khamis et al 2004). Because of the polymorphism, several studies have used the partial rpoB sequences and showed that the partial rpoB has the superior ability for differentiating Corynebacterium species and useful for taxonomic classification (Khamis et al 2005;Gomila et al 2012;Venezia et al 2012;Baraúna et al 2017).…”

“…Several genes can be used for the identification of Corynebacterium species, including rpoB, gyrA, and 16S rRNA genes (Khamis et al 2005;Gomila et al 2012;Venezia et al 2012;Baraúna et al 2017). Among these genes, the rpoB gene is considered as a gold standard for the identification of Corynebacterium species (Zasada and Mosiej 2018).…”