title: Interclonal gradient of virulence in the Pseudomonas aeruginosa pangenome from disease and environment.
abstract: The population genomics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was analysed by genome sequencing of representative strains of the 15 most frequent clonal complexes in the P. aeruginosa population and of the five most common clones from the environment of which so far no isolate from a human infection has been detected. Gene annotation identified 5892-7187 open reading frame (ORFs; median 6381 ORFs) in the 20 6.4-7.4 Mbp large genomes. The P. aeruginosa pangenome consists of a conserved core of at least 4000 genes, a combinatorial accessory genome of a further 10 000 genes and 30 000 or more rare genes that are present in only a few strains or clonal complexes. Whole genome comparisons of single nucleotide polymorphism synteny indicated unrestricted gene flow between clonal complexes by recombination. Using standardized acute lettuce, Galleria mellonella and murine airway infection models the full spectrum of possible host responses to P. aeruginosa was observed with the 20 strains ranging from unimpaired health following infection to 100% lethality. Genome comparisons indicate that the differential genetic repertoire of clones maintains a habitat-independent gradient of virulence in the P. aeruginosa population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, University of Giessen, Gießen, D-35392, Germany.
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hilker
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munder
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klockgether
authors.forename: Patricia Moran
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Losada
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chouvarine
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Colin F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Davenport
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dethlefsen
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Huiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schönfelder
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Türk
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wiehlmann
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wölbeling
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gulbins
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goesmann
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tümmler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009036:Moths / Q000382:microbiology; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics