The Pan-Genomic Analysis of Corynebacterium striatum Revealed its Genetic Characteristics as an Emerging Multidrug-Resistant Pathogen

Abstract

Corynebacterium striatum is a Gram-positive bacterium that is straight or slightly curved and non-spore-forming. Although it was originally believed to be a part of the normal microbiome of human skin, a growing number of studies have identified it as a cause of various chronic diseases, bacteremia, and respiratory infections. However, despite its increasing importance as a pathogen, the genetic characteristics of the pathogen population, such as genomic characteristics and differences, the types of resistance genes and virulence factors carried by the pathogen and their distribution in the population are poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted a pan-genomic analysis of 314 strains of C. striatum isolated from various tissues and geographic locations. Our analysis revealed that C. striatum has an open pan-genome, comprising 5692 gene families, including 1845 core gene families, 2362 accessory gene families, and 1485 unique gene families. We also found that C. striatum exhibits a high degree of diversity across different sources, but strains isolated from skin tissue are more conserved. Furthermore, we identified 53 drug resistance genes and 42 virulence factors by comparing the strains to the drug resistance gene database (CARD) and the pathogen virulence factor database (VFDB), respectively. We found that these genes and factors are widely distributed among C. striatum, with 77.7% of strains carrying 2 or more resistance genes and displaying primary resistance to aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, lincomycin, macrolides, and streptomycin. The virulence factors are primarily associated with pathogen survival within the host, iron uptake, pili, and early biofilm formation. In summary, our study provides insights into the population diversity, resistance genes, and virulence factors of C. striatum from different sources. Our findings could inform future research and clinical practices in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of C. striatum-associated diseases.

Infective Endocarditis Caused by Corynebacterium striatum: Navigating Challenges and Treatment Strategies in an Emerging Threat

“…This is particularly true for prosthetic heart valves or intravascular implants [ 12 ]. In addition, C. striatum frequently exhibits resistance to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics, rendering conventional treatment options less effective [ 13 ]. This heightened resistance can pose challenges in treating infections caused by this organism, such as endocarditis [ 4 ].…”

“…C. striatum is well known for its resistance to antibiotics, especially the penicillin class [ 13 ]. IV vancomycin has been suggested as a treatment choice.…”

Ovine and Caprine Strains of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis on Czech Farms—A Comparative Study

“…The gene spaD in C. diphteriae was observed to be involved in the formation of pili that enable this strain to adhere to human pharyngeal epithelial cells [56]. The strB gene was reported to encode collagen-binding protein in Clostridium difficile, which is important in early biofilm formation and may be involved in host immune escape mechanisms [57].…”