Complete genome sequence of the Q-fever pathogen Coxiella burnetii.
The 1,995,275-bp genome of Coxiella burnetii, Nine Mile phase I RSA493, a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen and category B bioterrorism agent, was sequenced by the random shotgun method. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular acidophile that is highly adapted for life within the eukaryotic phagolysosome. Genome analysis revealed many genes with potential roles in adhesion, invasion, intracellular trafficking, host-cell modulation, and detoxification. A previously uncharacterized 13-member family of ankyrin repeat-containing proteins is implicated in the pathogenesis of this organism. Although the lifestyle and parasitic strategies of C. burnetii resemble that of Rickettsiae and Chlamydiae, their genome architectures differ considerably in terms of presence of mobile elements, extent of genome reduction, metabolic capabilities, and transporter profiles. The presence of 83 pseudogenes displays an ongoing process of gene degradation. Unlike other obligate intracellular bacteria, 32 insertion sequences are found dispersed in the chromosome, indicating some plasticity in the C. burnetii genome. These analyses suggest that the obligate intracellular lifestyle of C. burnetii may be a relatively recent innovation.
Seshadri
Rekha
R
The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
Paulsen
Ian T
IT
Eisen
Jonathan A
JA
Read
Timothy D
TD
Nelson
Karen E
KE
Nelson
William C
WC
Ward
Naomi L
NL
Tettelin
Hervé
H
Davidsen
Tanja M
TM
Beanan
Maureen J
MJ
Deboy
Robert T
RT
Daugherty
Sean C
SC
Brinkac
Lauren M
LM
Madupu
Ramana
R
Dodson
Robert J
RJ
Khouri
Hoda M
HM
Lee
Kathy H
KH
Carty
Heather A
HA
Scanlan
David
D
Heinzen
Robert A
RA
Thompson
Herbert A
HA
Samuel
James E
JE
Fraser
Claire M
CM
Heidelberg
John F
JF
D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data