Dataset Information

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the 2016 Vibrio cholerae Outbreak in South Korea.

ABSTRACT: In August 2016, South Korea experienced a cholera outbreak that caused acute watery diarrhea in three patients. This outbreak was the first time in 15 years that an outbreak was not linked to an overseas source. To identify the cause and to study the epidemiological implications of this outbreak, we sequenced the whole genome of Vibrio cholerae isolates; three from each patient and one from a seawater sample. Herein we present comparative genomic data which reveals that the genome sequences of these four isolates are very similar. Interestingly, these isolates form a monophyletic clade with V. cholerae strains that caused an outbreak in the Philippines in 2011. The V. cholerae strains responsible for the Korean and Philippines outbreaks have almost identical genomes in which two unique genomic islands are shared, and they both lack SXT elements. Furthermore, we confirm that seawater is the likely source of this outbreak, which suggests the necessity for future routine surveillance of South Korea's seashore.

SUBMITTER: Ha SM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6707086 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the 2016 <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> Outbreak in South Korea.

Ha Sung-Min SM Chalita Mauricio M Yang Seung-Jo SJ Yoon Seok-Hwan SH Cho Kyeunghee K Seong Won Keun WK Hong Sahyun S Kim Junyoung J Kwak Hyo-Sun HS Chun Jongsik J

Frontiers in public health 20190816

In August 2016, South Korea experienced a cholera outbreak that caused acute watery diarrhea in three patients. This outbreak was the first time in 15 years that an outbreak was not linked to an overseas source. To identify the cause and to study the epidemiological implications of this outbreak, we sequenced the whole genome of <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> isolates; three from each patient and one from a seawater sample. Herein we present comparative genomic data which reveals that the genome sequenc ...[more]

PMID: 31475130

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Project description:In recent years genome sequencing has been used to characterize new bacterial species, a method of analysis available as a result of improved methodology and reduced cost. Included in a constantly expanding list of Vibrio species are several that have been reclassified as novel members of the Vibrionaceae. The description of two putative new Vibrio species, Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 for which we propose the names V. metecus and V. parilis, respectively, previously characterized as non-toxigenic environmental variants of V. cholerae is presented in this study.Based on results of whole-genome average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), rpoB similarity, MLSA, and phylogenetic analysis, the new species are concluded to be phylogenetically closely related to V. cholerae and V. mimicus. Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 demonstrate features characteristic of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, respectively, on differential and selective media, but their genomes show a 12 to 15% divergence (88 to 85% ANI and 92 to 91% AAI) compared to the sequences of V. cholerae and V. mimicus genomes (ANI <95% and AAI <96% indicative of separate species). Vibrio sp. RC341 and Vibrio sp. RC586 share 2104 ORFs (59%) and 2058 ORFs (56%) with the published core genome of V. cholerae and 2956 (82%) and 3048 ORFs (84%) with V. mimicus MB-451, respectively. The novel species share 2926 ORFs with each other (81% Vibrio sp. RC341 and 81% Vibrio sp. RC586). Virulence-associated factors and genomic islands of V. cholerae and V. mimicus, including VSP-I and II, were found in these environmental Vibrio spp.Results of this analysis demonstrate these two environmental vibrios, previously characterized as variant V. cholerae strains, are new species which have evolved from ancestral lineages of the V. cholerae and V. mimicus clade. The presence of conserved integration loci for genomic islands as well as evidence of horizontal gene transfer between these two new species, V. cholerae, and V. mimicus suggests genomic islands and virulence factors are transferred between these species.

Project description:The PFGRC has developed a cost effective alternative to complete genome sequencing in order to study the genetic differences between closely related species and/or strains. The comparative genomics approach combines Gene Discovery (GD) and Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) techniques, resulting in the design and production of species microarrays that represent the diversity of a species beyond just the sequenced reference strain(s) used in the initial microarray design. These species arrays may then be used to interrogate hundreds of closely related strains in order to further unravel their evolutionary relationships. Many infectious agents that cause emerging and re-emerging diseases appear to evolve from non-virulent forms. We still lack a clear understanding about the natural history of various microbial agents that cause human infectious diseases and the events leading to acquisition of their pathogenic potential. There have been seven pandemics of V. cholerae throughout the history of the mankind. To date, the world population is still experiencing the seventh one which started in the early 1960s. From almost 200 recognized V. cholerae serotypes, the majority of these epidemics are associated with primarily O1 serotype. However there is evidence that this species is undergoing some phenotypic changes during the last decades. Such examples include shifts in some metabolic pathways used for biotyping, phage sensitivity profiling and the acquisition of plasmids that carry multiple genes conferring antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, the recent emergence of a non-O1 serotype (‘Bengal strain’, classified serologically as O139) has prompted the experts to think that perhaps this genotype will be the predominant one in the upcoming (eighth) pandemic. Besides the O1 and O139, the non-O1 and non-O139 V. cholerae stains are occasionally associated with other severe forms of gastrointestinal disease in humans. Interestingly, many of these non-canonical strains lack the genes encoding the typical virulence factors for this species such as the Cholera-toxin (ctx) and toxin co-regulated pilus (tcpA). Therefore it has been hypothesized that this group of non-canonical V. cholerae pathogens consist of several sub-clones that elicit disease via unknown virulence determinants and underlying mechanisms. The flow of genetic information within this group motivated us to identify novel genes for the purpose of creating a "species" DNA microarray to better understand the ancestral relationships among its members. Based on preliminary genotyping (MLST, and CGH using a single-genome-based array), 10 diverse V. cholerae and one V. mimicus were selected for sequencing. Sequence information obtained from this project, and from other publicly available sources, led to the development of a comprehensive species microarray for V. cholerae group members. The availability of the V. cholerae species DNA microarray has allowed us to carry out a collaborative CGH genotyping project to validate this microarray as well as understand the phylogenomic relationships among members of V. cholerae group.

Dataset Information

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the 2016 Vibrio cholerae Outbreak in South Korea.

Publications

Comparative Genomic Analysis of the 2016 <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> Outbreak in South Korea.

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