title: Genomic plasticity of the causative agent of melioidosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei.
abstract: Burkholderia pseudomallei is a recognized biothreat agent and the causative agent of melioidosis. This Gram-negative bacterium exists as a soil saprophyte in melioidosis-endemic areas of the world and accounts for 20% of community-acquired septicaemias in northeastern Thailand where half of those affected die. Here we report the complete genome of B. pseudomallei, which is composed of two chromosomes of 4.07 megabase pairs and 3.17 megabase pairs, showing significant functional partitioning of genes between them. The large chromosome encodes many of the core functions associated with central metabolism and cell growth, whereas the small chromosome carries more accessory functions associated with adaptation and survival in different niches. Genomic comparisons with closely and more distantly related bacteria revealed a greater level of gene order conservation and a greater number of orthologous genes on the large chromosome, suggesting that the two replicons have distinct evolutionary origins. A striking feature of the genome was the presence of 16 genomic islands (GIs) that together made up 6.1% of the genome. Further analysis revealed these islands to be variably present in a collection of invasive and soil isolates but entirely absent from the clonally related organism B. mallei. We propose that variable horizontal gene acquisition by B. pseudomallei is an important feature of recent genetic evolution and that this has resulted in a genetically diverse pathogenic species.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Matthew T G
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Titball
authors.forename: Sharon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cerdeño-Tárraga
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Crossman
authors.forename: Tyrone
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pitt
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Churcher
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mungall
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Bentley
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebaihia
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bason
authors.forename: Ifor R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Beacham
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Nat F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Greg L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Challis
authors.forename: Inna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cherevach
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chillingworth
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crossett
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DeShazer
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feltwell
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hance
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holroyd
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jagels
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Keith
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maddison
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moule
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quail
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rabbinowitsch
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simmonds
authors.forename: Sirirurg
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Songsivilai
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Sarinna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tumapa
authors.forename: Monkgol
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vesaratchavest
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: Corin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yeats
authors.forename: Bart G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Barrell
authors.forename: Petra C F
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Oyston
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkhill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001482:Base Composition; D001483:Base Sequence; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D044404:Genomic Islands / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins