Development, Phenotypic Characterization and Genomic Analysis of a Francisella tularensis Panel for Tularemia Vaccine Testing.

ABSTRACT: Francisella tularensis is one of several biothreat agents for which a licensed vaccine is needed to protect against this pathogen. To aid in the development of a vaccine protective against pneumonic tularemia, we generated and characterized a panel of F. tularensis isolates that can be used as challenge strains to assess vaccine efficacy. Our panel consists of both historical and contemporary isolates derived from clinical and environmental sources, including human, tick, and rabbit isolates. Whole genome sequencing was performed to assess the genetic diversity in comparison to the reference genome F. tularensis Schu S4. Average nucleotide identity analysis showed >99% genomic similarity across the strains in our panel, and pan-genome analysis revealed a core genome of

SUBMITTER: Bachert BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8386241 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature