Radical genome remodelling accompanied the emergence of a novel host-restricted bacterial pathogen

Yebra, Gonzalo; Haag, Andreas F.; Neamah, Maan M; Wee, Bryan A.; Richardson, Emily J.; Horcajo, Pilar; Granneman, Sander; Tormo-Más, María Ángeles; Fuente, Ricardo de la; Fitzgerald, J. Ross; Penadés, José R.

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1009606

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…While solving the dominant cause of the decreased fluorescence is out of our scope, we speculate that ISs may act as global regulators, with IS transposase acting as transcription repressors and IS inverted repeats as operator sequences. Supporting this, ISs have been found in orientations that interfere with neighboring genes in clinical samples of Staphylococcus aureus ( 58 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Experimental demonstration of operon formation catalyzed by insertion sequence

Kanai

Tsuru

Furusawa

2022

Nucleic Acids Research

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Operons are a hallmark of the genomic and regulatory architecture of prokaryotes. However, the mechanism by which two genes placed far apart gradually come close and form operons remains to be elucidated. Here, we propose a new model of the origin of operons: Mobile genetic elements called insertion sequences can facilitate the formation of operons by consecutive insertion–deletion–excision reactions. This mechanism barely leaves traces of insertion sequences and thus difficult to detect in nature. In this study, as a proof-of-concept, we reproducibly demonstrated operon formation in the laboratory. The insertion sequence IS3 and the insertion sequence excision enhancer are genes found in a broad range of bacterial species. We introduced these genes into insertion sequence-less Escherichia coli and found that, supporting our hypothesis, the activity of the two genes altered the expression of genes surrounding IS3, closed a 2.7 kb gap between a pair of genes, and formed new operons. This study shows how insertion sequences can facilitate the rapid formation of operons through locally increasing the structural mutation rates and highlights how coevolution with mobile elements may shape the organization of prokaryotic genomes and gene regulation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Experimental demonstration of operon formation catalyzed by insertion sequence

Kanai

Tsuru

Furusawa

2022

Nucleic Acids Research

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“…In comparison, S. aureus subsp. anaerobius , an anaerobic subspecies restricted to sheep and goats, exhibited an average of 205 pseudogenes per genome (range 201–210) (Yebra et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Pseudogenes In Microorganismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss to gain: pseudogenes in microorganisms, focusing on eubacteria, and their biological significance

Yang,

Wang,

Qaidi

et al. 2024

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

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Pseudogenes are defined as “non-functional” copies of corresponding parent genes. The cognition of pseudogenes continues to be refreshed through accumulating and updating research findings. Previous studies have predominantly focused on mammals, but pseudogenes have received relatively less attention in the field of microbiology. Given the increasing recognition on the importance of pseudogenes, in this review, we focus on several aspects of microorganism pseudogenes, including their classification and characteristics, their generation and fate, their identification, their abundance and distribution, their impact on virulence, their ability to recombine with functional genes, the extent to which some pseudogenes are transcribed and translated, and the relationship between pseudogenes and viruses. By summarizing and organizing the latest research progress, this review will provide a comprehensive perspective and improved understanding on pseudogenes in microorganisms. Key points • Concept, classification and characteristics, identification and databases, content, and distribution of microbial pseudogenes are presented. • How pseudogenization contribute to pathogen virulence is highlighted. • Pseudogenes with potential functions in microorganisms are discussed.

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“…Finally, Morel's disease is a sort of lymphadenitis that is restricted to sheep and goats and caused by a host-specific microaerophilic subspecies of S. aureus, S. aureus subsp. anaerobius [99,157]. The role of specific staphylococcal virulence mechanisms in small ruminant diseases remains poorly explored.…”

Section: Animal Species Disease Type Associated Staphylococcus Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virulence Mechanisms of Staphylococcal Animal Pathogens

Cheung,

Otto

2023

IJMS

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Staphylococci are major causes of infections in mammals. Mammals are colonized by diverse staphylococcal species, often with moderate to strong host specificity, and colonization is a common source of infection. Staphylococcal infections of animals not only are of major importance for animal well-being but have considerable economic consequences, such as in the case of staphylococcal mastitis, which costs billions of dollars annually. Furthermore, pet animals can be temporary carriers of strains infectious to humans. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance is a great concern in livestock infections, as there is considerable antibiotic overuse, and resistant strains can be transferred to humans. With the number of working antibiotics continuously becoming smaller due to the concomitant spread of resistant strains, alternative approaches, such as anti-virulence, are increasingly being investigated to treat staphylococcal infections. For this, understanding the virulence mechanisms of animal staphylococcal pathogens is crucial. While many virulence factors have similar functions in humans as animals, there are increasingly frequent reports of host-specific virulence factors and mechanisms. Furthermore, we are only beginning to understand virulence mechanisms in animal-specific staphylococcal pathogens. This review gives an overview of animal infections caused by staphylococci and our knowledge about the virulence mechanisms involved.

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Radical genome remodelling accompanied the emergence of a novel host-restricted bacterial pathogen

Cited by 12 publications

References 64 publications

Experimental demonstration of operon formation catalyzed by insertion sequence

Experimental demonstration of operon formation catalyzed by insertion sequence

Loss to gain: pseudogenes in microorganisms, focusing on eubacteria, and their biological significance

Virulence Mechanisms of Staphylococcal Animal Pathogens

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