Dataset Information

Identification and Analysis of Informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in 16S rRNA Gene Sequences of the Bacillus cereus Group.

ABSTRACT: Analysis of 16S rRNA genes is important for phylogenetic classification of known and novel bacterial genera and species and for detection of uncultivable bacteria. PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with universal primers produces a mixture of amplicons from all rRNA operons in the genome, and the sequence data generally yield a consensus sequence. Here we describe valuable data that are missing from consensus sequences, variable effects on sequence data generated from nonidentical 16S rRNA amplicons, and the appearance of data displayed by different software programs. These effects are illustrated by analysis of 16S rRNA genes from 50 strains of the Bacillus cereus group, i.e., Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides, and Bacillus thuringiensis These species have 11 to 14 rRNA operons, and sequence variability occurs among the multiple 16S rRNA genes. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) previously reported to be specific to B. anthracis was detected in some B. cereus strains. However, a different SNP, at position 1139, was identified as being specific to B. anthracis, which is a biothreat agent with high mortality rates. Compared with visual analysis of the electropherograms, basecaller software frequently missed gene sequence variations or could not identify variant bases due to overlapping basecalls. Accurate detection of 16S rRNA gene sequences that include intragenomic variations can improve discrimination among closely related species, improve the utility of 16S rRNA databases, and facilitate rapid bacterial identification by targeted DNA sequence analysis or by whole-genome sequencing performed by clinical or reference laboratories.

SUBMITTER: Hakovirta JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5078553 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Identification and Analysis of Informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in 16S rRNA Gene Sequences of the Bacillus cereus Group.

Hakovirta Janetta R JR Prezioso Samantha S Hodge David D Pillai Segaran P SP Weigel Linda M LM

Journal of clinical microbiology 20160831 11

Analysis of 16S rRNA genes is important for phylogenetic classification of known and novel bacterial genera and species and for detection of uncultivable bacteria. PCR amplification of 16S rRNA genes with universal primers produces a mixture of amplicons from all rRNA operons in the genome, and the sequence data generally yield a consensus sequence. Here we describe valuable data that are missing from consensus sequences, variable effects on sequence data generated from nonidentical 16S rRNA amp ...[more]

PMID: 27582514

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Project description:16S rRNA gene sequences are commonly analyzed for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies because they contain variable regions that can help distinguish different genera. However, intra-genus distinction using variable region homology is often impossible due to the high overall sequence identities among closely related species, even though some residues may be conserved within respective species. Using a computational method that included the allelic diversity within individual genomes, we discovered that certain Escherichia and Shigella species can be distinguished by a multi-allelic 16S rRNA variable region single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). To evaluate the performance of 16S rRNAs with altered variable regions, we developed an in vivo system that measures the acceptance and distribution of variant 16S rRNAs into a large pool of natural versions supporting normal translation and growth. We found that 16S rRNAs containing evolutionarily disparate variable regions were underpopulated both in ribosomes and in active translation pools, even for an SNP. Overall, this study revealed that variable region sequences can substantially influence the performance of 16S rRNAs and that this biological constraint can be leveraged to justify refining taxonomic assignments of variable region sequence data. IMPORTANCE This study reevaluates the notion that 16S rRNA gene variable region sequences are uninformative for intra-genus classification and that single nucleotide variations within them have no consequence to strains that bear them. We demonstrated that the performance of 16S rRNAs in Escherichia coli can be negatively impacted by sequence changes in variable regions, even for single nucleotide changes that are native to closely related Escherichia and Shigella species; thus, biological performance is likely constraining the evolution of variable regions in bacteria. Further, the native nucleotide variations we tested occur in all strains of their respective species and across their multiple 16S rRNA gene copies, suggesting that these species evolved beyond what would be discerned from a consensus sequence comparison. Therefore, this work also reveals that the multiple 16S rRNA gene alleles found in most bacteria can provide more informative phylogenetic and taxonomic detail than a single reference allele.

Dataset Information

Identification and Analysis of Informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in 16S rRNA Gene Sequences of the Bacillus cereus Group.

Publications

Identification and Analysis of Informative Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in 16S rRNA Gene Sequences of the Bacillus cereus Group.

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