The Evolution of a Specialized, Highly Virulent Fish Pathogen through Gene Loss and Acquisition of Host-Specific Survival Mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Photobacterium damselae comprises two subspecies, P. damselae subsp. damselae and P. damselae subsp. piscicida, that contrast remarkably despite their taxonomic relationship. The former is opportunistic and free-living but can cause disease in compromised individuals from a broad diversity of taxa, while the latter is a highly specialized, primary fish pathogen. Here, we employ new closed curated genome assemblies from Australia to estimate the global phylogenetic structure of the species P. damselae. We identify genes responsible for the shift from an opportunist to a host-adapted fish pathogen, potentially via an arthropod vector as fish-to-fish transmission was not achieved in repeated cohabitation challenges despite high virulence for Seriola lalandi. Acquisition of ShdA

SUBMITTER: Baseggio L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9317898 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature