Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Strains Isolated from Wild Birds in a Major Agricultural Region in California

Overview

Journal Microorganisms

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Nov 25

PMID 38004814

Authors

Michelle Qiu Carter

Beatriz Quinones

Xiaohua He

Antares Pham

Diana Carychao

Michael B Cooley

Chien-Chi Lo

Patrick S G Chain

Rebecca L Lindsey

James L Bono

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

is an emerging foodborne pathogen. To better understand the pathogenesis and health risk of this pathogen, comparative genomics and phenotypic characterization were applied to assess the pathogenicity potential of strains isolated from wild birds in a major agricultural region in California. Shiga toxin genes were present in all avian strains. Pangenome analyses of 20 complete genomes revealed a total of 11,249 genes, of which nearly 80% were accessory genes. Both core gene-based phylogenetic and accessory gene-based relatedness analyses consistently grouped the three -positive clinical strains with the five avian strains carrying ST7971. Among the three Stx2f-converting prophage integration sites identified, was the most common one. Besides the locus of enterocyte effacement and type three secretion system, the high pathogenicity island, OI-122, and type six secretion systems were identified. Substantial strain variation in virulence gene repertoire, Shiga toxin production, and cytotoxicity were revealed. Six avian strains exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity than that of -positive , and three of them exhibited a comparable level of cytotoxicity with that of enterohemorrhagic outbreak strains, suggesting that wild birds could serve as a reservoir of strains with great potential to cause severe diseases in humans.

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