The genome of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, the causative agent of swine erysipelas, reveals new insights into the evolution of firmicutes and the organism's intracellular adaptations.

ABSTRACT: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a Gram-positive bacterium that represents a new class, Erysipelotrichia, in the phylum Firmicutes. The organism is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes swine erysipelas, as well as a variety of diseases in many animals. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence analysis of a member of the class Erysipelotrichia. The E. rhusiopathiae genome (1,787,941 bp) is one of the smallest genomes in the phylum Firmicutes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA gene and 31 universal protein families suggest that E. rhusiopathiae is phylogenetically close to Mollicutes, which comprises Mycoplasma species. Genome analyses show that the overall features of the E. rhusiopathiae genome are similar to those of other Gram-positive bacteria; it possesse

SUBMITTER: Ogawa Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3133210 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature