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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 #351557
Research Project: Molecular Identification and Characterization of Bacterial and Viral Pathogens Associated with Foods

Location: Produce Safety and Microbiology Research

Title: Complete genome sequences of three Campylobacter jejuni phage-propagating strains

Author
item SACHER, JESSICA - University Of Alberta
item Yee, Emma
item SZYMANSKI, CHRISTINE - University Of Alberta
item Miller, William - Bill

Submitted to: Genome Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/2018
Publication Date: 6/14/2018
Citation: Sacher, J.C., Yee, E., Szymanski, C.M., Miller, W.G. 2018. Complete genome sequences of three Campylobacter jejuni phage-propagating strains. Genome Announcements. 6(24):e00514-18. https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00514-18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00514-18

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter jejuni is an important human foodborne pathogen responsible for diarrheal disease worldwide. C. jejuni infections commonly arise from handling undercooked poultry. As an alternative to antibiotics, viruses (phages) are being explored to reduce C. jejuni in food animals. Phages are strain-specific, which complicates their use in biocontrol, especially considering the high strain-strain variability in Campylobacter. Understanding the factors that lead to strain-strain differences in phage susceptibility can inform the rational design of phage cocktails to maximize the range of strains targeted. C. jejuni has been tracked based on their phage susceptibility differences since the 1980s. For these typing schemes, each phage was designated a readily infected ‘phage-propagating’ strain that could be used to grow it to high levels. To identify factors governing phage susceptibility in C. jejuni, we sequenced the genomes of three C. jejuni phage-propagating strains used in the UK phage typing scheme.

Technical Abstract: Bacteriophage therapy has the potential to reduce Campylobacter jejuni numbers in livestock, but requires a detailed understanding of phage-host interactions. Some C. jejuni strains are readily infected by certain phages, and are thus designated as phage-propagating strains. Here we report the complete genome sequences of three such strains, NCTC 12660, NCTC 12661, and NCTC 12664.