title: The genomic signatures of Shigella evolution, adaptation and geographical spread.
abstract: Shigella spp. are some of the key pathogens responsible for the global burden of diarrhoeal disease. These facultative intracellular bacteria belong to the family Enterobacteriaceae, together with other intestinal pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. The genus Shigella comprises four different species, each consisting of several serogroups, all of which show phenotypic similarity, including invasive pathogenicity. DNA sequencing suggests that this similarity results from the convergent evolution of different Shigella spp. founders. Here, we review the evolutionary relationships between Shigella spp. and E . coli, and we highlight how the genomic plasticity of these bacteria and their acquisition of a distinctive virulence plasmid have enabled the development of such highly specialized pathogens. Furthermore, we discuss the insights that genotyping and whole-genome sequencing have provided into the phylogenetics and intercontinental spread of Shigella spp.
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, 764 Vo Van Kiet, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Hao Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: The
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, 764 Vo Van Kiet, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Duy Pham
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thanh
authors.affiliation: Centre for Systems Genomics, University of Melbourne.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.affiliation: Bacterial Genomics, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.|Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, 764 Vo Van Kiet, Quan 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.|Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK.|Department of Pathogen and Molecular Biology, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012760:Shigella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors