Project description:A comparative genomic approach was used to identify large sequence polymorphisms among Mycobacterium avium isolates obtained from a variety of host species. DNA microarrays were used as a platform for comparing mycobacteria field isolates with the sequenced bovine isolate Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) K10. ORFs were classified as present or divergent based on the relative fluorescent intensities of the experimental samples compared to Map K10 DNA. Map isolates cultured from cattle, bison, sheep, goat, avian, and human sources were hybridized to the Map microarray. Three large deletions were observed in the genomes of four Map isolates obtained from sheep and four clusters of ORFs homologous to sequences in the Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (Maa) 104 genome were identified as being present in these isolates. One of these clusters encodes glycopeptidolipid biosynthesis enzymes. One of the Map sheep isolates had a genome profile similar to a group of Mycobacterium avium subsp. silvaticum (Mas) isolates which included four independent laboratory stocks of the organism traditionally identified as Maa strain 18. Genome diversity in Map appears to be mostly restricted to large sequence polymorphisms that are often associated with mobile genetic elements. Keywords: Comparative genomic hybridization Each isolate was competitively hybridized against Map K10 with a minimum of 2 dye flip hybridizations per isolate.
Project description:The clinical relevance of newly described nontuberculous mycobacteria is often unclear. We report a case of pulmonary infection caused by Mycobacterium hassiacum in an immunocompetent patient in Austria who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Antimicrobial drug susceptibility testing showed low MICs for macrolides, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, imipenem, and linezolid.
Project description:A comparative genomic approach was used to identify large sequence polymorphisms among Mycobacterium avium isolates obtained from a variety of host species. DNA microarrays were used as a platform for comparing mycobacteria field isolates with the sequenced bovine isolate Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) K10. ORFs were classified as present or divergent based on the relative fluorescent intensities of the experimental samples compared to Map K10 DNA. Map isolates cultured from cattle, bison, sheep, goat, avian, and human sources were hybridized to the Map microarray. Three large deletions were observed in the genomes of four Map isolates obtained from sheep and four clusters of ORFs homologous to sequences in the Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (Maa) 104 genome were identified as being present in these isolates. One of these clusters encodes glycopeptidolipid biosynthesis enzymes. One of the Map sheep isolates had a genome profile similar to a group of Mycobacterium avium subsp. silvaticum (Mas) isolates which included four independent laboratory stocks of the organism traditionally identified as Maa strain 18. Genome diversity in Map appears to be mostly restricted to large sequence polymorphisms that are often associated with mobile genetic elements. Keywords: Comparative genomic hybridization
Project description:We describe the first isolation of Mycobacterium hassiacum, a rapid-growing, partial acid-resistant mycobacterium, in a respiratory specimen from a patient with exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To provide therapeutic recommendation for future cases, antibiotic susceptibility testing of 3 clinical isolates was performed by broth microdilution. All strains tested showed susceptibility to clarithromycin, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline. The role of M hassiacum as a respiratory pathogen remains unclear and needs to be evaluated by future reports.
Project description:A novel Paenarthrobacter ilicis 6C isolate from soil found in Bielefeld, Germany, was sequenced and characterized by proteome analysis to provide the first clear look at a novel genus in the realm of xanthan degrading microorganisms. This research provides additional groundwork for the ongoing characterization of Paenarthrobacter, as well as widening the understanding of xanthan degrading microorganisms.
Project description:Phylogenetic, microbiological and comparative genomic analysis was used to examine the diversity among members of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor with an eye towards the capacity of these extremely thermophilic bacteria for degrading the complex carbohydrate content of plant biomass. Seven species from this genus (C. saccharolyticus, C. bescii (formerly Anaerocellum thermophilum), C. hydrothermalis, C. owensensis, C. kronotskyensis, C. lactoaceticus, and C. kristjanssonii) were compared on the basis of 16S rRNA phylogeny and cross-species DNA-DNA hybridization to a whole genome C. saccharolyticus oligonucleotide microarray. Growth physiology of the seven Caldicellulosiruptor species on a range of carbohydrates showed that, while all could be cultivated on acid pre-treated switchgrass, only C. saccharolyticus, C. besci, C. kronotskyensis, and C. lactoaceticus were capable of hydrolyzing Whatman No. 1 filter paper. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the secretomes from cells grown on microcrystalline cellulose revealed that species capable of crystalline cellulose hydrolysis also had diverse secretome fingerprints. The two-dimensional secretome of C. saccharolyticus revealed a prominent S-layer protein that appears to be also indicative of highly cellulolytic Caldicellulosiruptor species, suggesting a possible role in cell-substrate interaction. These growth physiology results were also linked to glycoside hydrolase and carbohydrate-binding module inventories for the seven bacteria, deduced from draft genome sequence information. These preliminary inventories indicated that the absence of a single glycoside hydrolase family and carbohydrate binding motif family appear to be responsible for some Caldicellulosiruptor species’ diminished cellulolytic capabilities. Overall, the genus Caldicellulosiruptor appears to contain more genomic and physiological diversity than previously reported, and is well suited for biomass deconstruction applications. Six dye-flip experiments were conducted using C. saccharolyticus genomic DNA as the reference in each dye-flip, and one of six different Caldicellulosiruptor spp. as a tester in each dye-flip