The mosaic genome structure and phylogeny of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 is driven by short-term adaptation. (May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, K.; Ferdous, M.; de Boer, R.F.; Kooistra-Smid, A.M.D.; Grundmann, H.; Friedrich, A.W.; Rossen, J.W.A.
• Is Part Of: Clinical microbiology and infection. Volume 21:Number 5(2015:May)
• Page Start: 468.e7
• Page End: 468.e18
• Publication Date: 2015-05
• Subjects: Antibiotic resistance -- comparative genomics -- Escherichia coli O104:H4 -- genomic islands -- genomic structural variation -- next-generation sequencing -- prophages -- shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli -- single nucleotide polymorphism -- Stx2-encoding prophage; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Diagnostic microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2014.12.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1198-743X

Abstract

Abstract: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O104:H4 emerged as an important pathogen when it caused a large outbreak in Germany in 2011. Little is known about the evolutionary history and genomic diversity of the bacterium. The current communication describes a comprehensive analysis of STEC O104:H4 genomes from the 2011 outbreak and other non-outbreak-related isolates. Outbreak-related isolates formed a tight cluster that shared a monophyletic relation with two non-outbreak clusters, suggesting that all three clusters originated from a common ancestor. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms, seven of which were non-synonymous, distinguished outbreak from non-outbreak isolates. Lineage-specific markers indicated that recent partitions were driven by selective pressures associated with niche adaptation. Based on the results, an evolutionary model for STEC O104:H4 is proposed. Our analysis provides the evolutionary context at population level and describes the emergence of clones with novel properties, which is necessary for developing comprehensive approaches to early warning and control.