Genome Sequences of Mycoplasma alligatoris A21JP2 ^T and Mycoplasma crocodyli MP145 ^T

Abstract

Mycoplasma alligatoris and Mycoplasma crocodyli are closely related siblings, one being highly virulent and the other relatively attenuated. We compared their genomes to better understand the mechanisms and origins of M. alligatoris' remarkable virulence amid a clade of harmless or much less virulent species. Although its chromosome was refractory to closure, M. alligatoris differed most notably by its complement of sialidases and other genes of the N-acetylneuraminate scavenging and catabolism pathway.Unlike the mycoplasmas that cause usually subtle mycoplasmosis, Mycoplasma alligatoris causes acute lethal multisystemic inflammatory disease in susceptible hosts (1, 2). We compared its genome to that of its attenuated sibling species Mycoplasma crocodyli, which causes only mild pneumonia or polyarthritis (5, 6). The DNA sequences were obtained through traditional random shotgun sequencing conducted at the University of Florida and the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), assembled at JCVI using Celera Assembler, and analyzed using JCVI's automated functional annotation service, which included Glimmer, BLAST-Extend-Repraze, HMM/TMHMM searches, and SignalP predictions. The manual annotation tool Manatee was used to curate the output.The closed circular M. crocodyli MP145 T genome was 934,379 nucleotides (nt) in length, had a 26% GϩC content, and contained 81% coding sequences. Of 763 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), about two-thirds had assigned functions, including 43 structural RNAs; 43 proteins involved in metabolism of amino acids, purines, pyrimidines, nucleosides, nucleotides, cofactors, prosthetic groups, or carriers; 16 proteins involved in fatty acid or phospholipid metabolism; 87 proteins involved in central intermediary or energy metabolism; 83 proteins involved in transport or binding; 238 proteins involved in nucleic acid metabolism, transcription or translation, or protein fate; 12 proteins involved in regulatory functions, including HrcA, ArsR, GntR, LacI, MarR, and RpiR family transcription regulators; 28 proteins involved in processes including cell division and adaptation to atypical conditions, including two glycosyltransferases possibly involved in biofilm synthesis; and 64 putative cell envelope lipoproteins. About one-third of the ORFs remained hypothetical. The proportions of the genome assigned to the various functional role categories were generally similar to those of related glucose-fermenting mollicutes in the JCVI's Comprehensive Microbial Resource, but M. crocodyli had no identified genes for adhesins, variable surface antigens, or mobile element functions such as the four IS1634/ISMhp1-type transposases present in M. alligatoris A21JP2 T . Candidate M. crocodyli virulence factors included hyaluronidase, glucuronidase, one ␣-and two ␤-hexosaminidases, a broad-specificity polysaccharide lyase (chondroitinase), and ␣-amylase. In contrast to M. alligatoris, no sialidase (neuraminidase) or other genes of the N-acetylneuraminate scavenging and catabolism pathway were evident.The nonconti...

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