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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #325623
Research Project: Genetics, Breeding and Reproductive Physiology to Enhance Production of Catfish

Location: Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit

Title: Genome sequence of the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare genomovar II strain 94-081

Author
item KUMRU, SALIH - Mississippi State University
item TEKEDAR, HASAN - Mississippi State University
item Waldbieser, Geoffrey - Geoff
item LAWRENCE, MARK - Mississippi State University
item KARSI, ATTILA - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Genome Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/12/2016
Publication Date: 5/26/2016
Citation: Kumru, S., Tekedar, H., Waldbieser, G.C., Lawrence, M.L., Karsi, A. 2016. Genome sequence of the fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare genomovar II strain 94-081. Genome Announcements. 4:e00430-16.

Interpretive Summary: Flavobacterium columnare is a bacterial fish pathogen that causes columnaris disease in freshwater fish, including catfish. Multiple genomic platforms were used to produce DNA sequence and assemble the complete genome of F. columnare strain 94-081, which is pathogenic to farm-raised catfish. This is the first sequence of a strain from genomovar II, and will inform the development of methods for pathogen detection, determinination of mechanisms of pathogenesis, and development of methods and reagents to help reduce columnaris disease in cultured fish.

Technical Abstract: Channel catfish is one of the most important commodities in Mississippi and the largest aquaculture industry in the United States. Columnaris disease, caused by Flavobacterium columnare, affects many commercially important freshwater fish species. F. columnare strain 94-081 was isolated from diseased channel catfish in 1994 from a commercial aquaculture production pond in Mississippi. F. columnare is divided into three genomovars, and strain 94-081 is representative of genomovar II, which tends to be highly pathogenic for catfish. To understand pathogenesis of strain 94-081, we sequenced its genome using 454, Illumina, and PacBio sequencing and obtained a circular genome of 3,321,600 bp. The genome contains 2,901 coding sequences and 82 RNAs. Forty potential elements responsible for defense mechanisms and virulence were detected. This is the first reported F. columare genomovar II genome sequence, and we expect it will help our understanding of F. columnare genomovar II pathogenesis in catfish. Flavobacterium columnare is a Gram-negative, rod shaped, motile, and highly prevalent fish pathogen causing columnaris disease in freshwater fish worldwide. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of F. columnare strain ATCC 49512.