Metagenome Assembled Genome of Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis, Rickettsiales-like organism (RLO) that is the causative agent of withering syndrome (WS), a disease that impacts digestive gland morphology and can be fatal for abalone
Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis was detected in high abundance via qPCR and 16S rRNA sequencing in exposed white abalone in captivity at UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory. Digestive gland , post-esophagus and fecal samples were sent for shotgun metagenomic sequencing and yielded a bin in the RIckettsiales order which was assembled with over 90% completeness and less than 1.5% contamination. The 16S rRNA gene sequence was extracted and blasted in NCBI to confirm identity as Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis (CaXc). This is the metagenome assembled genome of CaXc, which causes withering syndrome in white abalone and several other abalone species.