Comparative genomic analysis of a naturally competent Elizabethkingia anophelis isolated from an eye infection

Eswarappa Pradeep Bulagonda,Bhavani Manivannan,Pachi Pulusu Chanakya,Manmath Lama,Valakunja Nagaraja,Madavan Vasudevan,Balaram Khamari,Niranjana Mahalingam,Sudhir Jadhao

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26874-8

Abstract

Elizabethkingia anophelis has now emerged as an opportunistic human pathogen. However, its mechanisms of transmission remain unexplained. Comparative genomic (CG) analysis of E. anopheles endophthalmitis strain surprisingly found from an eye infection patient with twenty-five other E. anophelis genomes revealed its potential to participate in horizontal gene transfer. CG analysis revealed that the study isolate has an open pan genome and has undergone extensive gene rearrangements. We demonstrate that the strain is naturally competent, hitherto not reported in any members of Elizabethkingia. Presence of competence related genes, mobile genetic elements, Type IV, VI secretory systems and a unique virulence factor arylsulfatase suggests a different lineage of the strain. Deciphering the genome of E. anophelis having a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors associated with diverse human infections may open up avenues to deal with the myriad of its human infections and devise strategies to combat the pathogen.

Highlights

Elizabethkingia belonging to the family Flavobacteriaceae is a genus with 4 known species: E. meningoseptica, E. anophelis, E. miricola and E. endophytica
Comparative genomic (CG) analysis was performed with twenty-five other E. anophelis strains whose genomes were publicly available to get an insight into their phylogenetic position and to understand the similarities and differences in their gene contents with the aim of determining the unique features of the organism isolated for the first time from an eye infection
Vitrectomy was performed to debulk the infection and pus was removed from the infected eye

Summary

Introduction

Elizabethkingia belonging to the family Flavobacteriaceae is a genus with 4 known species: E. meningoseptica, E. anophelis, E. miricola and E. endophytica. CG analysis was performed with twenty-five other E. anophelis strains whose genomes were publicly available to get an insight into their phylogenetic position and to understand the similarities and differences in their gene contents with the aim of determining the unique features of the organism isolated for the first time from an eye infection. With the availability of additional Elizabethkingia genomes and 16 s rDNA sequence analysis, the genome of the study isolate was re-identified as Elizabethkingia anophelis.

Results

Conclusion