ARS | Publication request: Common Genomic Features of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. doylei Strains Distinguish Them from C. jejuni subsp. jejuni

Submitted to: BMC Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: April 1, 2007
Publication Date: May 29, 2007
Citation: Parker, C., Miller, W.G., Horn, S.T., Lastovica, A.J. 2007. Common Genomic Features of Campylobacter jejuni subsp. doylei Strains Distinguish Them from C. jejuni subsp. jejuni. BMC Microbiology. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/7/50

Interpretive Summary: We investigated the genomic differences between two subspecies of Campylobacter jejuni: C. jejuni subsp. jejuni (Cjj) and C. jejuni subsp. doylei (Cjd) Cjd strains are isolated infrequently, they differ from Cjj in two key aspects: they are obtained primarily from human clinical samples and are associated often with bacteremia, in addition to diarrheal disease. In this study, we utilized multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and a DNA microarray-based comparative genomic indexing (CGI) approach to examine the genomic diversity and gene content of Cjd strains. These approaches demonstrated that Cjd strains were different from Cjj. The CGI analysis showed that the 8 Cjd strains in the study were divergent from Cjj strains NCTC 11168 and RM1221 in intraspecies hypervariable regions. Moreover, multiple metabolic, transport and virulence functions (e.g. cytolethal distending toxin) were shown to be absent from all Cjd strains examined, providing clues as to the potential evolutionary origin and unusual pathogenicity of Cjd.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter jejuni has been divided into two subspecies: C. jejuni subsp. jejuni (Cjj) and C. jejuni subsp. doylei (Cjd). Nearly all of the C. jejuni strains isolated are Cjj; nevertheless, although Cjd strains are isolated infrequently, they differ from Cjj in two key aspects: they are obtained primarily from human clinical samples and are associated often with bacteremia, in addition to gastroenteritis. In this study, we utilized multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and a DNA microarray-based comparative genomic indexing (CGI) approach to examine the genomic diversity and gene content of Cjd strains. These approaches demonstrated that Cjd strains were phylogenetically distinct from Cjj. The Cjd strains exhibited divergence from Cjj strains NCTC 11168 and RM1221 in intraspecies hypervariable regions. Moreover, multiple metabolic, transport and virulence functions (e.g. cytolethal distending toxin) were shown to be absent in the Cjd strains examined, providing clues as to the potential evolutionary origin and unusual pathogenicity of Cjd.