title: Evolution and comparative genomics of Campylobacter jejuni ST-677 clonal complex.
abstract: Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of gastroenteritis in the European Union with over 200,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported annually. This is the first study to describe findings related to comparative genomics analyses of the sequence type (ST)-677 clonal complex (CC), a Campylobacter jejuni lineage associated with bacteremia cases in humans. We performed whole-genome sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq sequencing technology, on five related ST-677 CC isolates from two chicken farms to identify microevolution taking place at the farms. Our further aim was to identify novel putative virulence determinants from the ST-677 CC genomes. For this purpose, clinical isolates of the same CC were included in comparative genomic analyses against well-known reference strains of C. jejuni. Overall, the ST-677 CC was recognized as a highly clonal lineage with relatively small differences between the genomes. Among the farm isolates differences were identified mainly in the lengths of the homopolymeric tracts in genes related to the capsule, lipo-oligosaccharide, and flagella. We identified genomic features shared with C. jejuni subsp. doylei, which has also been shown to be associated with bacteremia in humans. These included the degradation of the cytolethal distending toxin operon and similarities between the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis loci. The phase-variable GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.47) (wcbK, CAMP1649), associated with the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis locus, may play a central role in ST-677 CC conferring acid and serum resistance during different stages of infection. Homology-based searches revealed several additional novel features and characteristics, including two putative type Vb secretion systems and a novel restriction modification/methyltransferase gene cluster, putatively associated with pathogenesis and niche adaptation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland rauni.kivisto@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Rauni I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Kivistö
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kovanen
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland Present address: Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skarp-de Haan
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland Present address: Biology Oceanography, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Rostock-Warnemünde, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.affiliation: Finnish Meat Research Institute, Hämeenlinna, Finland Present address: Finnish Association for Milk Hygiene, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marjatta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahkio
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja-Liisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Hänninen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002645:Chickens; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Campylobacter jejuni; bacteremia; capsule; niche adaptation; phase variation; serum resistance