title: Whole-genome sequence analysis and exploration of the zoonotic potential of a rat-borne Bartonella elizabethae.
abstract: Bartonella elizabethae has been known to cause endocarditis and neuroretinitis in humans. The genomic features and virulence profiles of a B. elizabethae strain (designated as BeUM) isolated from the spleen of a wild rat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia are described in this study. The BeUM strain has a genome size of 1,932,479bp and GC content of 38.3%. There is a high degree of conservation between the genomes of strain BeUM with B. elizabethae type strains (ATCC 49927 and F9251) and a rat-borne strain, Re6043vi. Of 2137 gene clusters identified from B. elizabethae strains, 2064 (96.6%) are indicated as the core gene clusters. Comparative genome analysis of B. elizabethae strains reveals virulence genes which are known in other pathogenic Bartonella species, including VirB2-11, vbhB2-B11, VirD4, trw, vapA2-5, hbpA-E, bepA-F, bepH, badA/vomp/brp, ialB, omp43/89 and korA-B. A putative intact prophage has been identified in the strain BeUM, in addition to a 8kb pathogenicity island. The whole genome analysis supports the zoonotic potential of the rodent-borne B. elizabethae, and provides basis for future functional and pathogenicity studies of B. elizabethae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: tayst@um.edu.my.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kho
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Genome Solutions Sdn Bhd, Suite 8, Innovation Incubator UM, Level 5, Research Management & Innovation Complex, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Choo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001473:Bartonella / Q000235:genetics*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Bartonella elizabethae; Genome assembly; Prophage; Zoonotic potential