title: Complete genome sequence and comparative genomics of Shigella flexneri serotype 2a strain 2457T.
abstract: We determined the complete genome sequence of Shigella flexneri serotype 2a strain 2457T (4,599,354 bp). Shigella species cause >1 million deaths per year from dysentery and diarrhea and have a lifestyle that is markedly different from those of closely related bacteria, including Escherichia coli. The genome exhibits the backbone and island mosaic structure of E. coli pathogens, albeit with much less horizontally transferred DNA and lacking 357 genes present in E. coli. The strain is distinctive in its large complement of insertion sequences, with several genomic rearrangements mediated by insertion sequences, 12 cryptic prophages, 372 pseudogenes, and 195 S. flexneri-specific genes. The 2457T genome was also compared with that of a recently sequenced S. flexneri 2a strain, 301. Our data are consistent with Shigella being phylogenetically indistinguishable from E. coli. The S. flexneri-specific regions contain many genes that could encode proteins with roles in virulence. Analysis of these will reveal the genetic basis for aspects of this pathogenic organism's distinctive lifestyle that have yet to be explained.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Genetics and Genome Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burland
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Mayhew
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plunkett
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darling
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mau
authors.forename: N T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Perna
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Runyen-Janecky
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Blattner
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements