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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Virus and Prion Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #418799
Research Project: Virulence Mechanisms, Microbiome Changes and Control Strategies for Priority Bacterial Infections in Swine

Location: Virus and Prion Research

Title: Genetic diversity of Bordetella bronchispetica isolates obtained from primates

Author
item Nicholson, Tracy
item Shore, Sarah
item WANG, YIHUI - Food And Drug Administration(FDA)
item ZIMMERMAN, LINDSEY - Food And Drug Administration(FDA)
item MERKEL, TOD - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2025
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Bordetella bronchiseptica is a highly contagious respiratory bacterial veterinary pathogen that can cause a variety of clinical disease outcomes ranging from asymptomatic carriage to severe respiratory disease. The human pathogens B. pertussis and B. parapertussis, the causative agents of whooping cough (pertussis) are considered to have evolved independently from a B. bronchiseptica ancestor. The overwhelming majority of publicly available genomic sequencing data for these closely related pathogens is derived from clinical B. pertussis isolates. To fill this gap, this report used whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the genetic diversity of B. bronchispetica isolates obtained from primates and evaluate the antimicrobial resistance carried by these isolates. The combined data in this report broadens the known evolutionary diversity and genetic variation of B. bronchispetica isolates. This information can be used to develop diagnostic assays and investigate horizontal transfer mechanisms of genes encoding virulence factors. This information is important to public health professionals, scientists, and veterinarians.

Technical Abstract: The majority of data used for genomic comparisons among Bordetella bronchispetica isolates is derived from isolates obtained from livestock or domesticated animal species. The goal of this study was to use whole genome sequencing to evaluate the genetic diversity of B. bronchispetica isolates obtained from primates and evaluate antimicrobial resistance harbored by these isolates. Two isolates were identified as belonging to B. bronchiseptica lineage II and thirteen isolates represented new sequence types within B. bronchiseptica lineage I clonal complex 6. The lineage II isolates harbored the lowest sequence identity observe all genes evaluated and did not contain several well characterized virulence and fimbrial genes. Western blotting revealed no reactivity to a lineage II strain when using antibodies generated against Pertactin (PRN) from a lineage I-1 strain or antibodies generated against a domain of filamentous haemagglutinin (FHA) from a lineage I-1 strain. Isolates harbored variation within the wbm locus containing genes encoding for the expression of antigenically distinct O-antigen types and the cya operon was replaced by the ptp operon in several isolates, expanding the phylogenetic distribution of this operon replacement. Seventeen isolates exhibited phenotypic resistance to four or more antibiotic classes tested, however the Bordetella-specific '-lactamase was the only AMR genomic element identified. Collectively, the data in this report expands the known phylogenetic diversity and genetic variation of B. bronchispetica isolates.