Related Genomes Research Articles

Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii Strain TE5: A Promising Biological Control Bacterium Against the Causal Agent of Spot Blotch in Wheat

Strain TE5 was isolated from a wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) rhizosphere grown in a commercial field of wheat in the Yaqui Valley in Mexico. In this work, we present strain TE5 as a promising biological control agent against Bipolaris sorokiniana. First, after its genome sequencing through Illumina NovaSeq, this strain showed a genome size of 4,262,927 bp, with a 43.74% G + C content, an N50 value of 397,059 bp, an L50 value of 4 bp, and 41 contigs (>500 bp). Taxonomical affiliation was carried out by using overall genome relatedness indexes (OGRIs) and the construction of a phylogenomic tree based on the whole genome. The results indicated that strain TE5 identifies with Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii. Genomic annotation using Rapid Annotation Using Subsystems Technology (RAST) and Rapid Prokaryotic Genome Annotation (Prokka) indicated the presence of 4615 coding DNA sequences (CDSs) distributed across 330 subsystems, which included gene families associated with biocontrol, stress response, and iron competition. Furthermore, when the antiSMASH 7.1 platform was used for genome mining, the results indicated the presence of seven putative biosynthetic gene clusters related to the production of biocontrol metabolites, namely subtilosin A, bacillibactin, fengycin, bacillaene, bacilysin, surfactin, and rhizocticin A. Moreover, the antifungal activity of strain TE5 and its cell-free extract (CFE) was evaluated against Bipolaris sorokiniana, an emergent wheat pathogen. The results of in vitro dual confrontation showed fungal growth inhibition of 67% by strain TE5. Additionally, its CFE almost completely inhibited (93%) the growth of the studied phytopathogenic fungus on liquid media. Further observations of the impact of these bacterial metabolites on fungal spore germination exhibited inhibition of fungal spores through degrading the germinative hypha, avoiding mycelium development. Finally, the protective effect of strain TE5 against Bipolaris sorokiniana was evaluated for wheat seedlings. The results showed a significant decrease (83%) in disease severity in comparison with the plant infection without inoculation of the biological control agent. Thus, this work proposes Bacillus cabrialesii subsp. cabrialesii strain TE5 as a promising biological control agent against the wheat pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana while suggesting lipopeptides as the potential mode of action, together with plant growth and defense stimulation.

First report of the whole‑genome sequence analysis of Fig badnavirus 2 from China.

A novel plant virus was identified in fig trees exhibiting ring spot symptoms through high-throughput sequencing (HTS). The complete genome sequence was successfully determined using PCR and RT-PCR techniques. The virus features a circular DNA genome of 7233 nucleotides (nt) in length, encompassing four open reading frames (ORFs). ORF1 and ORF2 encode hypothetical proteins, while ORF3 encodes a putative polyprotein with conserved domains, including a zinc finger, aspartic protease, reverse transcriptase (RT), and RNase H. ORF4 encodes a putative protein of unknown function. Comparative nucleotide sequence analysis of the RT + RNase H region reveals 84.46% and 78.82% identity with grapevine badnavirus 1 (GBV-1, MF781082.1) and fig badnavirus 1 (FBV-1, MK348055.1), respectively. Notably, this virus's genomic organization diverges from GBV-1 but is similar to FBV-1. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that the three isolates of this virus form a distinct clade within the badnaviruses. Based on genomic structure and phylogenetic relationships, this novel virus represents a new member of the genus Badnavirus and is proposed to be named "Fig badnavirus 2" (FBV-2).

The Interplay of Diet, Genome, Metabolome, and Gut Microbiome in Cardiovascular Disease: A Narrative Review.

The responsiveness to dietary interventions is influenced by complex, multifactorial interactions among genetics, diet, lifestyle, gut microbiome, environmental factors, and clinical characteristics, such as the metabolic phenotype. Detailed metabolic and microbial phenotyping using large human datasets is essential for better understanding the link between diet, the gut microbiome, and host metabolism in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This review provides an overview of the interplay between diet, genome, metabolome, and gut microbiome in CVD. A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases to identify pertinent cohort studies published between January 2022 and May 2024. This review focused on English articles that assessed the interplay of diet, genome, metabolome, and gut microbiome in relation to CVD in humans. This narrative review explored the role of single-omics technologies-genomics, metabolomics, and the gut microbiome-and multi-omics approaches to understand the molecular basis of the relationship between diet and CVD. Omics technologies enabled the identification of new genes, metabolites, and molecular mechanisms related to the association of diet and CVD. The integration of multiple omics approaches allows for more detailed phenotyping, offering a broader perspective on how dietary factors influence CVD. Omics approaches hold great potential for deciphering the intricate crosstalk between diet, genome, gut microbiome, and metabolome, as well as their roles in CVD. Although large-scale studies integrating multiple omics in CVD research are still limited, notable progress has been made in uncovering molecular mechanisms. These findings could guide the development of targeted dietary strategies and guidelines to prevent CVD.

TIPPo: A User-Friendly Tool for De Novo Assembly of Organellar Genomes with High-Fidelity Data.

Plant cells have two major organelles with their own genomes: chloroplasts and mitochondria. While chloroplast genomes tend to be structurally conserved, the mitochondrial genomes of plants, which are much larger than those of animals, are characterized by complex structural variation. We introduce TIPPo, a user-friendly, reference-free assembly tool that uses PacBio high-fidelity long-read data and that does not rely on genomes from related species or nuclear genome information for the assembly of organellar genomes. TIPPo employs a deep learning model for initial read classification and leverages k-mer counting for further refinement, significantly reducing the impact of nuclear insertions of organellar DNA on the assembly process. We used TIPPo to completely assemble a set of 54 complete chloroplast genomes. No other tool was able to completely assemble this set. TIPPo is comparable with PMAT in assembling mitochondrial genomes from most species but does achieve even higher completeness for several species. We also used the assembled organelle genomes to identify instances of nuclear plastid DNA (NUPTs) and nuclear mitochondrial DNA (NUMTs) insertions. The cumulative length of NUPTs/NUMTs positively correlates with the size of the nuclear genome, suggesting that insertions occur stochastically. NUPTs/NUMTs show predominantly C:G to T:A changes, with the mutated cytosines typically found in CG and CHG contexts, suggesting that degradation of NUPT and NUMT sequences is driven by the known elevated mutation rate of methylated cytosines. Small interfering RNA loci are enriched in NUPTs and NUMTs, consistent with the RdDM pathway mediating DNA methylation in these sequences.

Genome-based reclassification of Suonthocola fibrivorans as a later heterotypic synonym of Diplocloster agilis.

Both the genera Suonthocola and Diplocloster are members of the family Lachnospiraceae. Their type species, both Suonthocola fibrivorans Sanger_33T and Diplocloster agilis ASD5720T, were isolated from human faeces. A comparison of their 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed 100% similarity, suggesting their close relatedness and the possibility of belonging to the same species. To clarify their taxonomic relationship, genome-based analyses were carried out. Overall genomic relatedness indices analyses indicated that S. fibrivorans Sanger_33T shared average amino acid identity and percentage of conserved proteins prediction values higher than the Lachnospiraceae-specific genus-level thresholds with D. agilis ASD5720T, as well as the other two existing species of the genus Diplocloster. Additionally, S. fibrivorans Sanger_33T formed a distinct branch with D. agilis ASD5720T, clustering with the other two species of the genus Diplocloster into the same clade in both the 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic tree and the core-genome phylogenomic tree. Essentially, both the average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization prediction values between S. fibrivorans Sanger_33T and D. agilis ASD5720T were above the recommended species boundaries. It is thus clear that S. fibrivorans Sanger_33T and D. agilis ASD5720T constitute the same species. On the basis of the earliest valid publication, priority is given to D. agilis Chaplin et al. 2022. Based on this, the orphan species S. fibrivorans Hitch et al. 2022 is reclassified as a later heterotypic synonym of D. agilis Chaplin et al. 2022, along with the reclassification of the genus Suonthocola Hitch et al. 2022 as a later synonym of Diplocloster Chaplin et al. 2022.

Quantifying the Evolutionary Dynamics of Structure and Content in Closely Related E. coli Genomes.

Bacterial genomes primarily diversify via gain, loss, and rearrangement of genetic material in their flexible accessory genome. Yet the dynamics of accessory genome evolution are very poorly understood, in contrast to the core genome where diversification is readily described by mutations and homologous recombination. Here, we tackle this problem for the case of very closely related genomes. We comprehensively describe genome evolution within n=222 genomes of Escherichia coli ST131, which likely shared a common ancestor around 100 years ago. After removing putative recombinant diversity, the total length of the phylogeny is 6,000 core genome substitutions. Within this diversity, we find 22 modifications to core genome synteny and estimate around 2,000 structural changes within the accessory genome, i.e. one structural change for every three core genome substitutions. Sixty-three percent of loci with structural diversity could be resolved into individual gain and loss events with 10-fold more gains than losses, demonstrating a dominance of gains due to insertion sequences and prophage integration. Our results suggest the majority of synteny changes and insertions in our dataset are likely deleterious and only persist for a short time before being removed by purifying selection.

Phenylobacterium ferrooxidans sp. nov., isolated from a sub-surface geothermal aquifer in Iceland.

A novel bacterial strain, HK31-GT, was isolated from a subsurface geothermal aquifer (Hellisheidi, SW-Iceland) and was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene along with phylogenomic position indicated that the novel strain belongs to the genus Phenylobacterium. Cells are motile Gram-negative thin rods. Physiological characterization showed that strain HK31-GT is a mesophilic bacterium able to grow from 10 to 30°C, at pH values between 6 and 8 and at NaCl concentrations between 0 and 0.5%. Optimal growth was observed without sodium chloride at 25°C and pH6. Strain HK31-GT is chemoorganoheterotroph and its major saturated fatty acids are C18:1ω7c, C16:1ω6c and C16:0, the predominant quinone is Q-10 and the major polar lipid is phosphatidylglycerol. The new strain also possesses the capacity to use ferrous iron (Fe(II)) as the sole energy source and can also be considered as a chemolithoautotrophic microorganism. The overall genome of strain HK31-GT was estimated to be 4.46 Mbp in size with a DNA G+C content of 67.95%. Genes involved in iron metabolism were identified, but no genes typically involved in Fe(II)-oxidation were found. According to the overall genome relatedness indices (OGRI) values, six MAGs from groundwater have been assigned to the same species as the new strain HK31-GT. Furthermore, OGRI values between the genome of strain HK31-GT and the genomes of its closest relatives are below the species delineation threshold. Therefore, given the polyphasic approach used, strain HK31-GT represents a novel species of the genus Phenylobacterium, for which the name Phenylobacterium ferrooxidans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HK31-GT (DSM 116432T=UBOCC-M-3429T=LMG 33376T).

SPREAD: Spatiotemporal Pathogen Relationships and Epidemiological Analysis Dashboard.

In the scope of public health, the rapid identification and control of infectious disease outbreaks are a paramount concern. Traditional surveillance methods often face challenges in effectively combining genetic, geographical, and temporal data, which is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of disease transmission dynamics. Addressing this critical need, the Spatiotemporal Phylogenomic Research and Epidemiological Analysis Dashboard (SPREAD) emerges as an innovative standalone web-based application. SPREAD integrates several modules for detailed genomic relationships, pinpointing genetically close pathogens, and spatial mapping, providing in-depth views of how diseases spread across populations and territories, with significant advantage to manage both bacteria and viruses based on allele and variant calling, respectively. Designed for broad accessibility, SPREAD operates seamlessly within web browsers, eliminating the need for sophisticated IT infrastructure and facilitating its use across various public health contexts. Its intuitive interface ensures that users can effortlessly navigate complex datasets, facilitating widespread access to advanced surveillance capabilities. Through its initial deployments, SPREAD has proven instrumental in quickly identifying transmission clusters, significantly aiding in the formulation of prompt and targeted public health responses. Through the integration of state-of-the-art technology with a focus on user-centered design, SPREAD offers a promising solution that highlights the potential of digital health innovations.

Arvimicrobium flavum gen. nov., sp. nov., A Novel Genus in the Family Phyllobacteriaceae Isolated From Forest Soil.

During the study of microbial diversity of forest soil in the Republic of Korea, a yellow pigment-producing, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, motile bacterium was isolated and designated as strain 1W2T. This strain grew at temperature of 10-37°C, at pH of 5.0-9.0, and at NaCl concentration of 0-3.0% (w/v). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and genome sequencing revealed that strain 1W2T is a member of the family Phyllobacteriaceae but exhibits low similarity with known genera, suggesting that this strain is a new genus within the family. This strain showed the closest similarity to the genera Mesorhizobium (96.6-96.9%), Aminobacter (96.4 -96.6%), Aquamicrobium (96.5-96.7%), and Pseudaminobacter (96.6-96.7%). The nearest relative of 1W2T was Mesorhizobium shangrilense CCBAU 65327T with the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 96.9%. The genome size was 5,545,526bp with DNA G + C content of 64.7%. The values of overall genomic relatedness indices between strain 1W2T and the reference members were 20.4-21.3% for digital DNA-DNA hybridization, 74.0-76.6% for average nucleotide identity, and 68.1-61.2% for amino acids identity. Chemotaxonomic profiling revealed that Q-10 was the sole ubiquinone; summed feature 8 (C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c), iso-C13:0, and C19:0 cyclo ω8c were the predominant fatty acids; and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine were the major polar lipids. Based on these data, strain 1W2T represents a novel species of a new genus in the family Phyllobacteriaceae. Accordingly, we proposed the name Arvimicrobium flavum gen. nov., sp. nov., with the type strain 1W2T (= KCTC 92441T = NBRC 116019T).

Performance of phenomic selection in rice: Effects of population size and genotype-environment interactions on predictive ability

Phenomic prediction (PP), a novel approach utilizing Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) data, offers an alternative to genomic prediction (GP) for breeding applications. In PP, a hyperspectral relationship matrix replaces the genomic relationship matrix, potentially capturing both additive and non-additive genetic effects. While PP boasts advantages in cost and throughput compared to GP, the factors influencing its accuracy remain unclear and need to be defined. This study investigated the impact of various factors, namely the training population size, the multi-environment information integration, and the incorporations of genotype x environment (GxE) effects, on PP compared to GP. We evaluated the prediction accuracies for several agronomically important traits (days to flowering, plant height, yield, harvest index, thousand-grain weight, and grain nitrogen content) in a rice diversity panel grown in four distinct environments. Training population size and GxE effects inclusion had minimal influence on PP accuracy. The key factor impacting the accuracy of PP was the number of environments included. Using data from a single environment, GP generally outperformed PP. However, with data from multiple environments, using genotypic random effect and relationship matrix per environment, PP achieved comparable accuracies to GP. Combining PP and GP information did not significantly improve predictions compared to the best model using a single source of information (e.g., average predictive ability of GP, PP, and combined GP and PP for grain yield were of 0.44, 0.42, and 0.44, respectively). Our findings suggest that PP can be as accurate as GP when all genotypes have at least one NIRS measurement, potentially offering significant advantages for rice breeding programs, reducing the breeding cycles and lowering program costs.

Excessive Extracellular Ammonium Production by a Free-Living Nitrogen-Fixing Soil Clostridium sp. Strain.

A Gram-positive, rod-shaped, and obligate anaerobic bacterial strain OS1-26 was isolated from apple orchard soil in Iksan, South Korea. Interestingly, strain OS1-26 was observed to possess the functional genes involved in biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), including nifH, which was actively transcribed during the anaerobic cultivation with excessive production of extracellular NH4+ despite of presence of other fixed N nutrients. The BNF of strain OS1-26 was distinguished from the other well-known Clostridium diazotrophs, such as C. pasteurianum and C. acetobutylicum. The altruistic N-fixing ability of the strain may play a pivotal role in providing N nutrients to the microbial community and plants in the soil ecosystem. The microorganism grew at 25-35 °C (optimum 30-35 °C) and pH 5.0-8.0 (optimum 6.0-8.0) but was not able to grow in the presence of >0.5% NaCl. The major cellular fatty acids of strain OS1-26 were C16:0, C14:0, and the summed feature consisted of C16:1 ω7c and C16:1 ω6c (35.63%, 25.29%, and 18.84%, respectively). The 16S rRNA phylogeny indicated that strain OS1-26 is a member of the genus Clostridium, and the closest species are C. aciditolerans, C. nitrophenolicum, and C. thailandense, with 16S rRNA sequence similarities such as 99.71%, 98.52%, and 98.45%, respectively. In spite of the high 16S rRNA sequence similarity, strain OS1-26 showed overall genomic relatedness, such as the average nucleotide identity (ANI), and phenotypical features distinctly different from Clostridium aciditolerans. Although the species taxonomy of strain OS1-26 is undetermined within the genus Clostridium based on overall genomic and phenotypic properties, further studies on the soil bacterial strain would enhance our understanding of its taxonomic identity, ecological roles for the terrestrial soil N cycle, and the potential to be developed as a biological N fertilizer.

Genome Studies in Amaranthus cruentus L. and A. hypochondriacus L. Based on Repeatomic and Cytogenetic Data.

Amaranthus cruentus L. and Amaranthus hypochondriacus L. are valuable and promising food crops for multi-purpose use that are distributed worldwide in temperate, subtropical, and tropical zones. However, their karyotypes and genomic relationships still remain insufficiently studied. For the first time, a comparative repeatome analysis of A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus was performed based on the available NGS data; bioinformatic analyses using RepeatExplorer/TAREAN pipelines; and chromosome FISH mapping of 45S rDNA, 5S rDNA, and the most abundant satellite DNAs. In the repeatomes of these species, interspecific variations in the amount of Ty3/Gypsy and Ty1/Copia retroelements, DNA transposons, ribosomal, and satellite DNA were detected. In the repeatomes of both species, shared satDNAs with high sequence similarity were identified. The chromosome distribution patterns of four effective molecular markers, 45S rDNA, 5S rDNA, AmC4, and AmC9, allowed us to identify all chromosome pairs in the species karyotypes, construct unique karyograms of A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus, and confirm the close relationship between their genomes. These results are important for comparative karyotypic studies within the genus Amaranthus. Our findings demonstrated that cytogenomic analyses might provide important data on genomic relationships within Amaranthus and increase knowledge on genome organization in these valuable crops.

Actinomadura monticuli sp. nov., isolated from Darangshi Oreum (a volcanic cone), and the reclassification of Actinomadura glauciflava Lu et al. 2003 as a later heterotypic synonym of Actinomadura luteofluorescens (Shinobu 1962) Preobrazhenskaya et al. 1975 (Approved Lists 1980).

Two mycelium-forming actinobacterial strains, designated as DLS-47 and DLS-62T, were isolated from volcanic ash collected from the surface of a rock on the peak of Darangshi Oreum (a volcanic cone) in Jeju, Republic of Korea, and their taxonomic positions were investigated by a polyphasic approach. Both of the isolates showed growth at 20-42 °C, pH 6.0-9.0 and 0-1% (w/v) NaCl. Furthermore, DLS-47 was found to grow at 45 °C, while strain DLS-62T grew at pH 10.0 and 3% (w/v) NaCl. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogeny showed that both of the isolates belonged to the genus Actinomadura; strain DLS-47 was most closely related to Actinomadura chokoriensis DSM 45346T (100% sequence identity), while strain DLS-62T formed a tight cluster with Actinomadura bangladeshensis DSM 45347T (99.5% sequence similarity). Morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics supported the affiliation of the two isolates to the genus Actinomadura. Phylogenomic analysis based on 92 core gene sequences showed that both of the isolates were most closely related to A. chokoriensis DSM 45346T. Strain DLS-47 shared 100% of orthologous average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with A. chokoriensis DSM 45346T, while strain DLS-62T showed orthologous average nucleotide identity ≤89.8% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values ≤39.4% with strain DLS-47 and members of the genus Actinomadura. The results of phenotypic assays and comparison of overall genomic relatedness indices support the conclusion that strain DLS-47 (= KACC 23347=DSM 116423) is a strain of A. chokoriensis, while strain DLS-62T (= KACC 23345T = DSM 116424T) represents a new species of the genus Actinomadura, for which the name Actinomadura monticuli sp. nov. is proposed. Also, Actinomadura glauciflava Lu et al. 2003 is reclassified as a later heterotypic synonym of Actinomadura luteofluorescens (Shinobu 1962) Preobrazhenskaya et al. 1975 (Approved Lists 1980) based on analysis of overall genomic relatedness indices and phenotypic similarity.

Bengtsoniella intestinalis gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the family Oscillospiraceae, isolated from the hindgut of the marine herbivorous fish Kyphosus sydneyanus.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, obligately anaerobic bacterium, designated strain BP47G, was isolated from the hindgut of a silver drummer (Kyphosus sydneyanus) fish collected from the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate indicated that it belonged to the family Oscillospiraceae in the phylum Bacillota. The gene sequence of BP47G was most similar to Oscillibacter valericigenes with 95.23% sequence identity. Isolate BP47G grew on agar medium containing mannitol and fish gut fluid as the sole carbon sources. Clear colonies of ~1 mm diameter grew within a week at 20-28 °C (optimum 28 °C) and pH 7.1-8.5 (optimum 8.5). BP47G tolerated the addition to the medium of up to 1% NaCl. Formate and butyrate were the major fermentation products. The major cellular fatty acids were C12:0, C13:0, iso-C14:0, C16:0 and C16:1 cis 7. Genomic analyses comparing BP47G with its closest relatives indicated low genomic relatedness based on the average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity, percentage of conserved protein and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization. Supported by the phenotypic and taxonomic characteristics observed in this study, a novel genus and species Bengtsoniella intestinalis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed for isolate BP47G (=ICMP 24688=JCM 35770).

On the inverse association between the number of QTL and the trait-specific genomic relationship of a candidate to the training set.

BackgroundAccuracy of genomic prediction depends on the heritability of the trait, the size of the training set, the relationship of the candidates to the training set, and the Min(NQTL,Me), where NQTL is the number of QTL and Me is the number of independently segregating chromosomal segments. Due to LD, the number Qe of independently segregating QTL (effective QTL) can be lower than Min(NQTL,Me). In this paper, we show that Qe is inversely associated with the trait-specific genomic relationship of a candidate to the training set. This provides an explanation for the inverse association between Qe and the accuracy of prediction.MethodsTo quantify the genomic relationship of a candidate to all members of the training set, we considered the k2 statistic that has been previously used for this purpose. It quantifies how well the marker covariate vector of a candidate can be represented as a linear combination of the rows of the marker covariate matrix of the training set. In this paper, we used Bayesian regression to make this statistic trait specific and argue that the trait-specific genomic relationship of a candidate to the training set is inversely associated with Qe. Simulation was used to demonstrate the dependence of the trait-specific k2 statistic on Qe, which is related to NQTL.ConclusionsThe posterior distributions of the trait-specific k2 statistic showed that the trait-specific genomic relationship between a candidate and the training set is inversely associated to Qe and NQTL. Further, we show that trait-specific genomic relationship between a candidate and the training set is directly related to the size of the training set.

Genomic Epidemiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Sequence Type 111.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST111 is a global multidrug resistant (MDR) high-risk clone and comprehensive data about its molecular epidemiology is limited in Canada. Comprehensive data about the evolution of ST111 clades is limited. We characterized a Canadian collection of ST111 causing bloodstream infections and investigated the genomic relationship between Canadian and global ST111. We used long and short read WGS to characterize Canadian ST111 (n = 10 from 2010-18). We performed phylogenetic analysis on a global collection of ST111 (n = 969) and investigated the evolutionary history of clades using BEAST. ST111 belonged to 3 clades (A, B, C) and two subclades (C1, C2). ST111-A was the ancestral clade while clades B, C1 and C2 emerged during the 1700s and 1800s. ST111-C2 dominatedthe global ST111 population. Serotype switching from O4 to O12 and the acquisition of Tn21, gyrA_T83I, parC_S87L, In59 with blaVIM-2 and aacA29 over time, were important in the evolution of ST111-C2. The Calgary ST111 strains consisted of a diverse collection that belonged to ST111-A (O4), ST111-C1 (O4) and ST111-C2 (O12) with different transposon structures. We provided details on the emergence and evolution of different ST111 clades over time and highlighted the roles of serotype switching and the acquisition of certain AMR determinants and transposon structures in the evolution of ST111-C2.

Application of whole genome sequencing to assess the relatedness of Salmonella Enteritidis strains isolated in the Silesian Voivodeship.

Gram-negative Salmonella bacilli are one of the most common bacterial causes of gastrointestinal infections. Well-selected and targeted microbiological diagnostics enable the detection and identification of the etiological agent of infection, however, standardized, routine and recommended methods do not always allow for the identification of the biological agent in an unambiguous manner. Next-generation sequencing has become an ideal tool for identifying microorganisms and tracking infection transmission in outbreaks for epidemiological purposes. The aim of the study was to assess the genomic relatedness of Salmonella Enteritidis strains using whole genome sequencing in the foodborne outbreak in August-September 2023 in the Silesian Voivodeship. The research material consisted of 11 strains of S. Enteritidis for which whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina technology and the relationship between serotypes was assessed using bioinformatics tools. The genomes of all S. Enteritidis isolates were assigned to HC2_53128, which may indicate a very close relationship between the strains. Whole genome sequencing enabled the assessment of the genomic relatedness of S. Enteritidis strains in the foodborne outbreak in August-September 2023 in the Silesian Voivodeship.

Evidence of Extensive Home Range Sharing Among Mother-Daughter Bobcat Pairs in the Wildland-Urban Interface of the Tucson Mountains.

Urbanization impacts the structure and viability of wildlife populations. Some habitat generalists, such as bobcats (Lynx rufus), maintain populations at the intersection of wild and urban habitats (wildland urban interface, WUI), but impacts of urbanization on bobcat social structure are not well understood. Although commonly thought to establish exclusive home ranges among females, instances of mother-daughter home range sharing have been documented. We combined GPS localities with genomic relatedness inferences from double-digest restriction site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) to investigate mother-daughter home range sharing in bobcats (n = 38) at the WUI in the Tucson Mountains, Arizona, USA. We found the highest relatedness among females, which showed stronger isolation by distance than males and the population as a whole. Using mother-daughter relationships inferred from pedigree reconstruction, we found extensive mother-daughter home range sharing, compared to other females. Every mother identified as having at least one daughter, shared home ranges with one daughter, while other confirmed daughters established adjacent home ranges. Our results provide substantial support for the mother-daughter home range sharing hypothesis, as well as evidence of spatiotemporal overlap between mothers and daughters, adding to the body of research complicating the solitary felid paradigm. These results additionally challenge the notion of home range partitioning by prior rights land tenure, suggesting a role of matrilineal land tenure in home range establishment of daughters. Habitat fragmentation due to human population growth and urbanization thus has the potential to alter landscape genetic structure and social dynamics in bobcats.

Molecular Detection of Carbapenemases in Acinetobacter baumannii Strains of Portugal and Association With Sequence Types, Capsular Types, and Virulence

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is an important nosocomial pathogen. The capsular type (K-type) is considered a major virulence factor, contributing to the evasion of host defenses. The global spread and dissemination dynamics between K-types, sequence types (ST), antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors remain largely unknown in Portugal. A collection of 96 CRAB clinical samples collected between 2005 and 2019 in the northern region of Portugal were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility profile and screened by polymerase chain reaction for resistance genetic determinants. A subset of 26 representative isolates was subjected to whole-genome sequencing to assess K types, ST types, and genomic relatedness. The pathogenicity of distinct K-types was also tested using Galleria mellonella model. For the 96 CRAB isolates analyzed, high antimicrobial resistance (>90%) was observed to the carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and miscellaneous agents. Greater antimicrobial susceptibility (∼30%-57%) was observed for aminoglycosides, particularly tobramycin, and amikacin. Genotypically, 75 strains (78.5%) carried blaOXA-23-like, 18 strains (18.8%) carried blaIMP-like, and 11 strains (14.9%) carried blaOXA-40-like carbapenem resistance genes, respectively. Associations between OXA and ST/capsular locus (KL) types were observed over the years (eg, OXA-40-like/ST46Past/KL120 and OXA-23-like/ST2Past/KL2). ST2Past of clonal complex II was present in most strains, a dominant drug-resistant lineage in the United States and Europe. KL7 was also the most prevalent KL-type (38.5%), followed by KL2 (34.6%), KL120 (23.1%), and KL9 (3.8%). Virulence assessment for different K-types in a Galleria mellonella model revealed a significantly increased virulence for KL120 when compared with KL7, KL9, and KL2. There are specific CRAB serotypes circulating in Portugal, accounting by the low diversity of acquired carbapenemase genes (OXA-23-like and OXA-40-like), ST types (ST2 and ST46) and KL types (KL2, KL7, KL9, and KL120) identified. The high prevalent of ST2, especially when associated with KL2 and blaOXA-23-like, suggest that antibiotic resistance has been driven by clonal expansion of clonal complex II. Such findings provide useful information on the diversity of multidrug-resistant bacterium that might be relevant for antibacterial interventions.

Description of Albidovulum litorale sp. nov., Albidovulum marisflavi sp. nov., Albidovulum salinarum sp. nov., and Albidovulum sediminicola sp. nov., and proposal for reclassification of the genus Defluviimonas as a later heterotypic synonym of Albidovulum.

Four Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria, designated WL0002T, WL0024T, WL0050T, and WL0075T, were isolated from sediment in the coastal areas of Nantong City, China. Metagenomic analysis revealed higher relative abundance of taxa closely related to the four strains in sediment (0.79-2.0%) than in water (0.34-1.3%) (Mann-Whitney U test: p<0.001). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene and the bac120 gene set both suggested that the four strains are closely related to the genus Defluviimonas. Additionally, Albidovulum inexpectatum DSM 12048T formed a distinct branch within Defluviimonas. The evolutionary distance (ED) and percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) analysis indicated that the four strains and the genus strains of Albidovulum and Defluviimonas should be recognized as a single genus. Genomic relatedness analysis among the four strains and type strains of the genera Albidovulum and Defluviimonas was below species delimitation thresholds, except for strains WL0024T and "D. salinarum" CAU 1641T, which should belong to the same species. Based on phenotypic and genotypic characterization, the four strains should be recognized as novel species in Albidovulum, and it is reasonable to reclassify the genus Defluviimonas as a later heterotypic synonym of Albidovulum, consistent with the classification of the Genome Taxonomy Database (GTDB). Four names are proposed as follows: Albidovulum marisflavi sp. nov. (type strain WL0002T=MCCC 1K06013T=JCM 34653T=GDMCC 1.2437T), Albidovulum salinarum sp. nov. (WL0024T=MCCC 1K06062T=JCM 34656T=GDMCC 1.2438T), Albidovulum litorale sp. nov. (WL0050T=MCCC 1K07524T=JCM 35566T=GDMCC 1.3084T), and Albidovulum sediminicola sp. nov. (WL0075T=MCCC 1K06064T=JCM 34660T=GDMCC 1.2419T).