Abstract
Finegoldia magna, a Gram-positive anaerobic coccus, is an opportunistic pathogen, associated with medical device-related infections. F. magna is the only described species of the genus Finegoldia. We report the analysis of 17 genomes of Finegoldia isolates. Phylogenomic analyses showed that the Finegoldia population can be divided into two distinct clades, with an average nucleotide identity of 90.7%. One clade contains strains of F. magna, whereas the other clade includes more heterogeneous strains, hereafter tentatively named “Finegoldia nericia”. The latter species appears to be more abundant in the human microbiome. Surface structure differences between strains of F. magna and “F. nericia” were detected by microscopy. Strain-specific heterogeneity is high and previously identified host-interacting factors are present only in subsets of “F. nericia” and F. magna strains. However, all genomes encode multiple host factor-binding proteins such as albumin-, collagen-, and immunoglobulin-binding proteins, and two to four copies of CAMP (Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen) factors; in accordance, most strains show a positive CAMP reaction for co-hemolysis. Our work sheds new light of the genus Finegoldia and its ability to bind host components. Future research should explore if the genomic differences identified here affect the potential of different Finegoldia species and strains to cause opportunistic infections.
Highlights
Finegoldia is a genus of Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) within the class Clostridia; the currently only described species of this genus is Finegoldia magna, formerly known as Peptostreptococcus magnus[1]
GPAC account for 25–30% of all isolated anaerobic bacteria from clinical specimens, and F. magna is commonly found in clinical materials and infection sites such as soft tissue and wound infections, including diabetic ulcers, bone and joint infections, prosthetic valve endocarditis, pneumonia, vaginosis, chronic balanitis, and others[2,3,4,5]
We analyzed human microbiome data stored in the IMG (Integrated Microbial Genomes and microbiome samples) database for the presence of F. magna and “F. nericia” sequences. 3287 and 7068 coding sequences of F. magna ATCC29328 and “F. nericia” ATCC 53516, respectively, could be identified in the 875 assembled human microbiome datasets present in IMG; highest occurrences of Finegoldia were detected in retroauricular crease specimens. These analyses suggest that among human-associated Finegoldia isolates “F. nericia” seems to be more prevalent than F. magna
Summary
Finegoldia is a genus of Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) within the class Clostridia; the currently only described species of this genus is Finegoldia magna, formerly known as Peptostreptococcus magnus[1]. GPAC account for 25–30% of all isolated anaerobic bacteria from clinical specimens, and F. magna is commonly found in clinical materials and infection sites such as soft tissue and wound infections, including diabetic ulcers, bone and joint infections, prosthetic valve endocarditis, pneumonia, vaginosis, chronic balanitis, and others[2,3,4,5]. The isolation and cultivation from blood or infection sites still remain challenging, due to elaborate growth requirements, including the sensitivity to oxygen, extended cultivation times, and growth media used[6]. It is assumed that the proportion of F. magna reported in clinical specimens is underestimated[4,5]
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