title: Unique physiological and pathogenic features of Leptospira interrogans revealed by whole-genome sequencing.
abstract: Leptospirosis is a widely spread disease of global concern. Infection causes flu-like episodes with frequent severe renal and hepatic damage, such as haemorrhage and jaundice. In more severe cases, massive pulmonary haemorrhages, including fatal sudden haemoptysis, can occur. Here we report the complete genomic sequence of a representative virulent serovar type strain (Lai) of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae consisting of a 4.33-megabase large chromosome and a 359-kilobase small chromosome, with a total of 4,768 predicted genes. In terms of the genetic determinants of physiological characteristics, the facultatively parasitic L. interrogans differs extensively from two other strictly parasitic pathogenic spirochaetes, Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi, although similarities exist in the genes that govern their unique morphological features. A comprehensive analysis of the L. interrogans genes for chemotaxis/motility and lipopolysaccharide synthesis provides a basis for in-depth studies of virulence and pathogenesis. The discovery of a series of genes possibly related to adhesion, invasion and the haematological changes that characterize leptospirosis has provided clues about how an environmental organism might evolve into an important human pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai, 250 Bi Bo Road, Zhang Jiang High Tech Park, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Shuang-Xi
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiu-Gao
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: You-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi-Xuan
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ling-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hong-Quan
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yue-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Ju-Xing
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Wen-Yi
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Yue-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Hai-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gen-Feng
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Hong-Lei
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Sheng-Yue
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhi-Jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Bo-Qin
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Qiang
authors.forename: Qi-Chang
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiao-Kui
authors.initials: XK
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Danchin
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Saint Girons
authors.forename: Ronald L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Somerville
authors.forename: Yu-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Man-Hua
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Guo-Ping
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000235:genetics; D002633:Chemotaxis; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides