Genomes of the most dangerous epidemic bacteria have a virulence repertoire characterized by fewer genes but more toxin-antitoxin modules.

ABSTRACT:

Background

We conducted a comparative genomic study based on a neutral approach to identify genome specificities associated with the virulence capacity of pathogenic bacteria. We also determined whether virulence is dictated by rules, or if it is the result of individual evolutionary histories. We systematically compared the genomes of the 12 most dangerous pandemic bacteria for humans ("bad bugs") to their closest non-epidemic related species ("controls").

Methodology/principal findings

We found several significantly different features in the "bad bugs", one of which was a smaller genome that likely resulted from a degraded recombination and repair system. The 10 Cluster of Orthologous Group (COG) functional categories revealed a significantly smaller number of genes in the

SUBMITTER: Georgiades K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3060909 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature