Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.

<strong>Background</strong> Orientia tsutsugamushi is a clinically important but neglected obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen of the Rickettsiaceae family that causes the potentially life-threatening human disease scrub typhus. In contrast to the genome reduction seen in many obl...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Batty, E, Chaemchuen, S, Blacksell, S, Richards, A, Paris, D, Bowden, R, Chan, C, Lachumanan, R, Day, N, Donnelly, P, Chen, S, Salje, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2018
_version_ 1797081352810528768
author Batty, E
Chaemchuen, S
Blacksell, S
Richards, A
Paris, D
Bowden, R
Chan, C
Lachumanan, R
Day, N
Donnelly, P
Chen, S
Salje, J
author_facet Batty, E
Chaemchuen, S
Blacksell, S
Richards, A
Paris, D
Bowden, R
Chan, C
Lachumanan, R
Day, N
Donnelly, P
Chen, S
Salje, J
author_sort Batty, E
collection OXFORD
description <strong>Background</strong> Orientia tsutsugamushi is a clinically important but neglected obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen of the Rickettsiaceae family that causes the potentially life-threatening human disease scrub typhus. In contrast to the genome reduction seen in many obligate intracellular bacteria, early genetic studies of Orientia have revealed one of the most repetitive bacterial genomes sequenced to date. The dramatic expansion of mobile elements has hampered efforts to generate complete genome sequences using short read sequencing methodologies, and consequently there have been few studies of the comparative genomics of this neglected species. <strong>Results</strong> We report new high-quality genomes of O. tsutsugamushi, generated using PacBio single molecule long read sequencing, for six strains: Karp, Kato, Gilliam, TA686, UT76 and UT176. In comparative genomics analyses of these strains together with existing reference genomes from Ikeda and Boryong strains, we identify a relatively small core genome of 657 genes, grouped into core gene islands and separated by repeat regions, and use the core genes to infer the first whole-genome phylogeny of Orientia. <strong>Conclusions</strong> Complete assemblies of multiple Orientia genomes verify initial suggestions that these are remarkable organisms. They have larger genomes compared with most other Rickettsiaceae, with widespread amplification of repeat elements and massive chromosomal rearrangements between strains. At the gene level, Orientia has a relatively small set of universally conserved genes, similar to other obligate intracellular bacteria, and the relative expansion in genome size can be accounted for by gene duplication and repeat amplification. Our study demonstrates the utility of long read sequencing to investigate complex bacterial genomes and characterise genomic variation.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T01:13:18Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:8dc8e87c-ffcd-4022-8a4c-d4031d8f06ad
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T01:13:18Z
publishDate 2018
publisher Public Library of Science
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:8dc8e87c-ffcd-4022-8a4c-d4031d8f06ad2022-03-26T22:53:27ZLong-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:8dc8e87c-ffcd-4022-8a4c-d4031d8f06adEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordPublic Library of Science2018Batty, EChaemchuen, SBlacksell, SRichards, AParis, DBowden, RChan, CLachumanan, RDay, NDonnelly, PChen, SSalje, J <strong>Background</strong> Orientia tsutsugamushi is a clinically important but neglected obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen of the Rickettsiaceae family that causes the potentially life-threatening human disease scrub typhus. In contrast to the genome reduction seen in many obligate intracellular bacteria, early genetic studies of Orientia have revealed one of the most repetitive bacterial genomes sequenced to date. The dramatic expansion of mobile elements has hampered efforts to generate complete genome sequences using short read sequencing methodologies, and consequently there have been few studies of the comparative genomics of this neglected species. <strong>Results</strong> We report new high-quality genomes of O. tsutsugamushi, generated using PacBio single molecule long read sequencing, for six strains: Karp, Kato, Gilliam, TA686, UT76 and UT176. In comparative genomics analyses of these strains together with existing reference genomes from Ikeda and Boryong strains, we identify a relatively small core genome of 657 genes, grouped into core gene islands and separated by repeat regions, and use the core genes to infer the first whole-genome phylogeny of Orientia. <strong>Conclusions</strong> Complete assemblies of multiple Orientia genomes verify initial suggestions that these are remarkable organisms. They have larger genomes compared with most other Rickettsiaceae, with widespread amplification of repeat elements and massive chromosomal rearrangements between strains. At the gene level, Orientia has a relatively small set of universally conserved genes, similar to other obligate intracellular bacteria, and the relative expansion in genome size can be accounted for by gene duplication and repeat amplification. Our study demonstrates the utility of long read sequencing to investigate complex bacterial genomes and characterise genomic variation.
spellingShingle Batty, E
Chaemchuen, S
Blacksell, S
Richards, A
Paris, D
Bowden, R
Chan, C
Lachumanan, R
Day, N
Donnelly, P
Chen, S
Salje, J
Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title_full Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title_fullStr Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title_full_unstemmed Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title_short Long-read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi.
title_sort long read whole genome sequencing and comparative analysis of six strains of the human pathogen orientia tsutsugamushi
work_keys_str_mv AT battye longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT chaemchuens longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT blacksells longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT richardsa longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT parisd longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT bowdenr longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT chanc longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT lachumananr longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT dayn longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT donnellyp longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT chens longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi
AT saljej longreadwholegenomesequencingandcomparativeanalysisofsixstrainsofthehumanpathogenorientiatsutsugamushi