Pathogenomic sequence analysis of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis isolates closely related to Bacillus anthracis.
Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis are closely related gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria of the B. cereus sensu lato group. While independently derived strains of B. anthracis reveal conspicuous sequence homogeneity, environmental isolates of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis exhibit extensive genetic diversity. Here we report the sequencing and comparative analysis of the genomes of two members of the B. cereus group, B. thuringiensis 97-27 subsp. konkukian serotype H34, isolated from a necrotic human wound, and B. cereus E33L, which was isolated from a swab of a zebra carcass in Namibia. These two strains, when analyzed by amplified fragment length polymorphism within a collection of over 300 of B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, and B. anthracis isolates, appear closely related to B. anthracis. The B. cereus E33L isolate appears to be the nearest relative to B. anthracis identified thus far. Whole-genome sequencing of B. thuringiensis 97-27and B. cereus E33L was undertaken to identify shared and unique genes among these isolates in comparison to the genomes of pathogenic strains B. anthracis Ames and B. cereus G9241 and nonpathogenic strains B. cereus ATCC 10987 and B. cereus ATCC 14579. Comparison of these genomes revealed differences in terms of virulence, metabolic competence, structural components, and regulatory mechanisms.
Han
Cliff S
CS
Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Bioscience Division, MS M888, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Xie
Gary
G
Challacombe
Jean F
JF
Altherr
Michael R
MR
Bhotika
Smriti S
SS
Brown
Nancy
N
Bruce
David
D
Campbell
Connie S
CS
Campbell
Mary L
ML
Chen
Jin
J
Chertkov
Olga
O
Cleland
Cathy
C
Dimitrijevic
Mira
M
Doggett
Norman A
NA
Fawcett
John J
JJ
Glavina
Tijana
T
Goodwin
Lynne A
LA
Green
Lance D
LD
Hill
Karen K
KK
Hitchcock
Penny
P
Jackson
Paul J
PJ
Keim
Paul
P
Kewalramani
Avinash Ramesh
AR
Longmire
Jon
J
Lucas
Susan
S
Malfatti
Stephanie
S
McMurry
Kim
K
Meincke
Linda J
LJ
Misra
Monica
M
Moseman
Bernice L
BL
Mundt
Mark
M
Munk
A Christine
AC
Okinaka
Richard T
RT
Parson-Quintana
B
B
Reilly
Lee Philip
LP
Richardson
Paul
P
Robinson
Donna L
DL
Rubin
Eddy
E
Saunders
Elizabeth
E
Tapia
Roxanne
R
Tesmer
Judith G
JG
Thayer
Nina
N
Thompson
Linda S
LS
Tice
Hope
H
Ticknor
Lawrence O
LO
Wills
Patti L
PL
Brettin
Thomas S
TS
Gilna
Paul
P
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics*; D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D001413:Bacillus thuringiensis / Q000235:genetics*; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000254:growth & development; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D000596:Amino Acids