The Distribution of Campylobacter jejuni Virulence Genes in Genomes Worldwide Derived from the NCBI Pathogen Detection Database

Abstract

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is responsible for 80% of human campylobacteriosis and is the leading cause of gastroenteritis globally. The relevant public health risks of C. jejuni are caused by particular virulence genes encompassing its virulome. We analyzed 40,371 publicly available genomes of C. jejuni deposited in the NCBI Pathogen Detection Database, combining their epidemiologic metadata with an in silico bioinformatics analysis to increase our current comprehension of their virulome from a global perspective. The collection presented a virulome composed of 126 identified virulence factors that were grouped in three clusters representing the accessory, the softcore, and the essential core genes according to their prevalence within the genomes. The multilocus sequence type distribution in the genomes was also investigated. An unexpected low prevalence of the full-length flagellin flaA and flaB locus of C. jejuni genomes was revealed, and an essential core virulence gene repertoire prevalent in more than 99.99% of genomes was identified. Altogether, this is a pioneer study regarding Campylobacter jejuni that has compiled a significant amount of data about the Multilocus Sequence Type and virulence factors concerning their global prevalence and distribution over this database.

Genomic diversity, virulence and source of Campylobacter jejuni contamination in Irish poultry slaughterhouses by whole genome sequencing

“…T4SS is used by bacteria to transport proteins or protein‐DNA complexes across the cell and help bacteria to adapt to changes in their environment (Wallden et al, 2010 ). Plasmid p Vir and its virulence vir genes have a very low prevalence globally (below 5%) (Panzenhagen et al, 2021 ) which is in keeping with this study that found it in only 2 isolates (3.5% prevalence), and this seems to suggest they are not relevant for the virulence of C. jejuni .…”

Distribution of Virulence Genes in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Agaricus Mushrooms in Iran

“…Colonies exhibiting exceptional mobility were isolated on 5% horse blood agar plates and incubated for 48 hours in an anaerobic jar with a fuel-producing sachet to generate microaerophilic conditions. Gram-negative, catalase-positive, and oxidase-positive samples were snap-frozen in glycerol broth at -70°C for further molecular characterization (PCR), antibiotic sensitivity testing, and resistance gene identification [ 17 ].…”

“…PCR conditions for 23S rRNA gene detection were 30 cycles of denaturation at 95°C for 30 seconds; annealing at 46°C temperatures for 30 seconds, elongation at 72°C for 30 seconds, and final extension at 72°C for 7 minutes were used in the amplification. Electrophoresis with a 1.5% agarose gel including ethidium bromide was used to examine the PCR results [ 17 , 18 ].…”

“…The Mueller-Hinton agar (Zist. Rouyesh, Tehran, Iran) plates containing 5% defibrinated sheep blood as a medium was used to evaluate antibacterial sensitivities to various antibacterial drugs in a twofold serial dilution tend to range from 0.063 to 128 μ g/mL −1 depending on the Medical and Laboratory Standard rules (M100) [ 17 ]. The inocula were made by swabbing two to three colonies from 24 h culture into a sterile 0.85% sodium chloride (NaCl) solution to create a cell suspension that matched the 0.5 McFarland threshold.…”

Expression of recombinant Omp18 and MOMP of Campylobacter jejuni and the determination of their suitability as antigens for serological diagnosis of campylobacteriosis in animals

“…In addition to diarrhea, C. jejuni causes reactive arthritis, pancreatitis, and carditis. Some strains of C. jejuni can stimulate the production of antibodies that react with peripheral nerve myelin, causing Guillain-Barré syndrome [4][5][6]. The lack of specificity of clinical signs in campylobacteriosis places special demands on diagnostics, delaying timely therapeutic intervention for the disease.…”