Abstract
Clostridium baratii strains are rare opportunistic pathogens associated with botulism intoxication. They have been isolated from foods, soil and be carried asymptomatically or cause botulism outbreaks. Is not taxonomically related to Clostridium botulinum, but some strains are equipped with BoNT/F7 cluster. Despite their relationship with diseases, our knowledge regarding the genomic features and phylogenetic characteristics is limited. We analyzed the pangenome of C. baratii to understand the diversity and genomic features of this species. We compared existing genomes in public databases, metagenomes, and one newly sequenced strain isolated from an asymptomatic subject. The pangenome was open, indicating it comprises genetically diverse organisms. The core genome contained 28.49% of the total genes of the pangenome. Profiling virulence factors confirmed the presence of phospholipase C in some strains, a toxin capable of disrupting eukaryotic cell membranes. Furthermore, the genomic analysis indicated significant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events as defined by the presence of prophage genomes. Seven strains were equipped with BoNT/F7 cluster. The active site was conserved in all strains, identifying a missing 7-aa region upstream of the active site in C. baratii genomes. This analysis could be important to advance our knowledge regarding opportunistic clostridia and better understand their contribution to disease.
Highlights
We evaluate the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs) [36] found in the pangenome, sorting the results from EggNOG by COG categories
Genomes were obtained from single species or public metagenomes [47,65], and a novel strain isolated from an asymptomatic subject fecal samples, C. baratii C3
Strain XCM carried tetA and tetB genes (Figure 5). These results indicate that certain C. baratii strains could carry relevant antimicrobial resistance genes (AMR) genes
Summary
Clostridium species could be found in soil and residing in several animals’ intestines, showing their widespread distribution [2] This taxonomic group includes important animal and human pathogens that cause dangerous and potentially deadly diseases such as tetanus [3] (produced by tetanus toxin from C. tetani), gastroenteritis [4] (C. perfringens), Clostridioides difficile infection, and botulism [5,6] (produced by botulism neurotoxin from C. botulinum), among several others [7]. In addition to their medical importance, Clostridium species are well studied for their industrial properties in producing important bioproducts such as ethanol, organic acids, and therapeutic proteins [8]
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