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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Produce Safety and Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #340744
Research Project: Molecular Identification and Characterization of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Associated with Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Complete genome sequence of the Campylobacter cuniculorum type strain LMG 24588

Author
item Miller, William - Bill
item Yee, Emma
item REVEZ, JOANA - European Centre For Disease Control And Prevention
item Bono, James - Jim
item ROSSI, MIRKO - University Of Helsinki

Submitted to: Genome Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2017
Publication Date: 6/15/2017
Citation: Miller, W.G., Yee, E., Revez, J., Bono, J.L., Rossi, M. 2017. Complete genome sequence of the Campylobacter cuniculorum type strain LMG 24588. Genome Announcements. 5:e00543-17.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter species are isolated typically from a wide variety of warm-blooded animals and birds. Most are isolated from food animals or livestock. C. cuniculorum is primarily isolated from rabbits, either pet rabbits or rabbits farmed for human consumption as meat. C. cuniculorum is highly prevalent in rabbits (close to 100%) and these organisms demonstrate a native resistance to many antibiotics, making them a potential human health threat. No C. cuniculorum-associated human illness has yet been reported, although that may be related to the relative novelty of this organism in the literature and that clinical labs probably do not test for it. To further characterize C. cuniculorum, the chromosomal sequence of the C. cuniculorum type strain was determined. Although the gene content of C. cuniculorum was highly similar to that of other campylobacters, including the human pathogen C. jejuni, C. cuniculorum is predicted to be able to utilize nutrients such as glucose and tricarballylate. Utilization of the later nutrient is also predicted in campylobacters isolated from pigs and reptiles, which have digestive systems similar to rabbits, indicating that the gene content of C. cuniculorum may allow it to thrive in its rabbit host.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter cuniculorum has been isolated from rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Although C. cuniculorum is highly prevalent in rabbits farmed for human consumption, the pathogenicity of this organism in humans is still unknown. This study describes the whole-genome sequence of the C. cuniculorum type strain LMG 24588 (=CCUG 56289T).