scholarly journals Proposal of a taxonomic nomenclature for the Bacillus cereus group which reconciles genomic definitions of bacterial species with clinical and industrial phenotypes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Carroll ◽  
Martin Wiedmann ◽  
Jasna Kovac
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Bacterial Taxonomy ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Bioterrorism Agent ◽  
Current Species ◽  
Species Definitions

ABSTRACTThe Bacillus cereus group comprises numerous closely related species, including bioterrorism agent B. anthracis, foodborne pathogen B. cereus, and biopescticide B. thuringiensis. Differentiating organisms capable of causing illness or death from those used in industry is essential for risk assessment and outbreak preparedness. However, current species definitions facilitate species-phenotype incongruencies, particularly when horizontally acquired genes are responsible for a phenotype. Using all publicly available B. cereus group genomes (n = 2,231), we show that current genomospecies definitions lead to overlapping species clusters, and that an average nucleotide identity (ANI) genomospecies threshold of ≈92.5 reflects a natural gap in core genome similarity. We propose a taxonomy for the B. cereus group which accounts for (i) genomospecies using separable species clusters formed at a threshold of ≈92.5 ANI, and (ii) phenotypes relevant to public health and industry. We anticipate that the proposed nomenclature will remain interpretable to clinicians, without sacrificing genomic species definitions, which can in turn aid in pathogen surveillance, early detection of emerging, high-risk genotypes, and outbreak preparedness. Furthermore, the nomenclatural framework outlined here serves as a model for genomics-based bacterial taxonomy which moves beyond arbitrarily set genomospecies thresholds, while maintaining congruence with phenotypes and historically important species names.

scholarly journals Proposal of a Taxonomic Nomenclature for the Bacillus cereus Group Which Reconciles Genomic Definitions of Bacterial Species with Clinical and Industrial Phenotypes

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura M. Carroll ◽  
Martin Wiedmann ◽  
Jasna Kovac
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Bacterial Taxonomy ◽  
Closely Related Species ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bioterrorism Agent ◽  
Current Species ◽  
Species Definitions

ABSTRACT The Bacillus cereus group comprises numerous closely related species, including bioterrorism agent B. anthracis, foodborne pathogen B. cereus, and biopesticide B. thuringiensis. Differentiating organisms capable of causing illness or death from those used in industry is essential for risk assessment and outbreak preparedness. However, current species definitions facilitate species-phenotype incongruences, particularly when horizontally acquired genes are responsible for a phenotype. Using all publicly available B. cereus group genomes (n = 2,231), we show that current species definitions lead to overlapping genomospecies clusters, in which 66.2% of genomes belong to multiple genomospecies at a conventional 95 average nucleotide identity (ANI) genomospecies threshold. A genomospecies threshold of ≈92.5 ANI is shown to reflect a natural gap in genome similarity for the B. cereus group, and medoid genomes identified at this threshold are shown to yield resolvable genomospecies clusters with minimal overlap (six of 2,231 genomes assigned to multiple genomospecies; 0.269%). We thus propose a nomenclatural framework for the B. cereus group which accounts for (i) genomospecies using resolvable genomospecies clusters obtained at ≈92.5 ANI, (ii) established lineages of medical importance using a formal collection of subspecies names, and (iii) heterogeneity of clinically and industrially important phenotypes using a formalized and extended collection of biovar terms. We anticipate that the proposed nomenclature will remain interpretable to clinicians, without sacrificing genomic species definitions, which can in turn aid in pathogen surveillance; early detection of emerging, high-risk genotypes; and outbreak preparedness. IMPORTANCE Historical species definitions for many prokaryotes, including pathogens, have relied on phenotypic characteristics that are inconsistent with genome evolution. This scenario forces microbiologists and clinicians to face a tradeoff between taxonomic rigor and clinical interpretability. Using the Bacillus cereus group as a model, a conceptual framework for the taxonomic delineation of prokaryotes which reconciles genomic definitions of species with clinically and industrially relevant phenotypes is presented. The nomenclatural framework outlined here serves as a model for genomics-based bacterial taxonomy that moves beyond arbitrarily set genomospecies thresholds while maintaining congruence with phenotypes and historically important species names.

Sidrophore Production and Phosphate Solubilization by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas fluorescens Isolated from Iraqi Soils and Soil Characterization

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaid Raad Abbas ◽  
Aqeel Mohammed Majeed Al-Ezee ◽  
Sawsan H
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Pseudomonas Fluorescens ◽  
Phosphate Solubilization ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Bacterial Count ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria ◽  
Clear Zone ◽  
Zone Formation

This study was conducted to explore the ability of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus cereus to solubilizing a phosphate in soil for enhancing the planting growth and, its relation with soill characterization. The isolates were identified as P.fluorescens and B. cereus using convential analysis and, its phosphate solubilization ability and sidrophore was shown by the clear zone formation on National Botanical Research Institute���s Phosphate medium. Moreover, Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates (n = 9) and three of B. cereus isolated from agricultural area in Baghdad university, Mustansiriyah university and Diyala bridge. Results displayed that bacterial count were varied in soil samples according to their region, and ranging from 30 to 60 *10 2 CFU/g in Baghdad university soil to 10���20 *10 2 CFU/g in Mustansiriyah university soil, the Baghdad soil macronutrient which included: NH4, NO3, P, and K were, 8.42, 20.53, 19.09, 218.73 respectively, While the physio analysis revealed that the mean of pH was 7.3 and EC was 8.63. on the other hand the micronutrient analysis indicated that the soil samples were included Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu which gave their mean 5025.9, 8.9, 4.9, 0.5 and 1.5 respectevily. Results revealed that all isolated bacteria (9 isolates of P.fluorescens and three isolates of B. cereus gave ahalo zone which mean their ability to be phosphate solubilizing bacteria at 100%. Results revealed that all isolated bacteria were detected a ability to produce high levels from chelating agents (siderophores)) by P.fluorescens and. B cereus at 100%, when appeared ahalo clear zone. Furthermore, the high levels of phosphate solubilization and siderophore production were grouped in bacterial species isolated from Iraqi soils. might be attributed to many soil factors such as soil nutrient status, soil acidity, water content, organic matter and soil enzyme activities.

scholarly journals A Genomic Distance Based on MUM Indicates Discontinuity between Most Bacterial Species and Genera

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Deloger ◽  
Meriem El Karoui ◽  
Marie-Agnès Petit
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Dna Content ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Genomic Distance ◽  
The Core ◽  
Intraspecies Diversity ◽  
Genome Level ◽  
Definition Of

ABSTRACT The fundamental unit of biological diversity is the species. However, a remarkable extent of intraspecies diversity in bacteria was discovered by genome sequencing, and it reveals the need to develop clear criteria to group strains within a species. Two main types of analyses used to quantify intraspecies variation at the genome level are the average nucleotide identity (ANI), which detects the DNA conservation of the core genome, and the DNA content, which calculates the proportion of DNA shared by two genomes. Both estimates are based on BLAST alignments for the definition of DNA sequences common to the genome pair. Interestingly, however, results using these methods on intraspecies pairs are not well correlated. This prompted us to develop a genomic-distance index taking into account both criteria of diversity, which are based on DNA maximal unique matches (MUM) shared by two genomes. The values, called MUMi, for MUM index, correlate better with the ANI than with the DNA content. Moreover, the MUMi groups strains in a way that is congruent with routinely used multilocus sequence-typing trees, as well as with ANI-based trees. We used the MUMi to determine the relatedness of all available genome pairs at the species and genus levels. Our analysis reveals a certain consistency in the current notion of bacterial species, in that the bulk of intraspecies and intragenus values are clearly separable. It also confirms that some species are much more diverse than most. As the MUMi is fast to calculate, it offers the possibility of measuring genome distances on the whole database of available genomes.

scholarly journals An Overview of Metabolic Activity, Beneficial and Pathogenic Aspects of Burkholderia Spp

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 321
Author(s):  
Hazem S. Elshafie ◽  
Ippolito Camele
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Biochemical Characterization ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Promoting Effect ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Plant Growth Promoting ◽  
Rhizosphere Competence

Burkholderia is an important bacterial species which has different beneficial effects, such as promoting the plant growth, including rhizosphere competence for the secretion of allelochemicals, production of antibiotics, and siderophores. In addition, most of Burkholderia species have demonstrated promising biocontrol action against different phytopathogens for diverse crops. In particular, Burkholderia demonstrates significant biotechnological potential as a source of novel antibiotics and bioactive secondary metabolites. The current review is concerned with Burkholderia spp. covering the following aspects: discovering, classification, distribution, plant growth promoting effect, and antimicrobial activity of different species of Burkholderia, shedding light on the most important secondary metabolites, their pathogenic effects, and biochemical characterization of some important species of Burkholderia, such as B. cepacia, B. andropogonis, B. plantarii, B. rhizoxinica, B. glumae, B. caryophylli and B. gladioli.

scholarly journals A Cryptic Non-Inducible Prophage Confers Phage-Immunity on the Streptococcus thermophilus M17PTZA496

Viruses ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinícius da Silva Duarte ◽  
Sabrina Giaretta ◽  
Stefano Campanaro ◽  
Laura Treu ◽  
Andrea Armani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitomycin C ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Large Subunit ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Dairy Industry ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Streptococcus Thermophilus ◽  
Starter Cultures ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Important Species

Streptococcus thermophilus is considered one of the most important species for the dairy industry. Due to their diffusion in dairy environments, bacteriophages can represent a threat to this widely used bacterial species. Despite the presence of a CRISPR-Cas system in the S. thermophilus genome, some lysogenic strains harbor cryptic prophages that can increase the phage-host resistance defense. This characteristic was identified in the dairy strain S. thermophilus M17PTZA496, which contains two integrated prophages 51.8 and 28.3 Kb long, respectively. In the present study, defense mechanisms, such as a lipoprotein-encoding gene and Siphovirus Gp157, the last associated to the presence of a noncoding viral DNA element, were identified in the prophage M17PTZA496 genome. The ability to overexpress genes involved in these defense mechanisms under specific stressful conditions, such as phage attack, has been demonstrated. Despite the addition of increasing amounts of Mitomycin C, M17PTZA496 was found to be non-inducible. However, the transcriptional activity of the phage terminase large subunit was detected in the presence of the antagonist phage vB_SthS-VA460 and of Mitomycin C. The discovery of an additional immune mechanism, associated with bacteriophage-insensitive strains, is of utmost importance, for technological applications and industrial processes. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the capability of a prophage integrated into the S. thermophilus genome expressing different phage defense mechanisms. Bacteriophages are widespread entities that constantly threaten starter cultures in the dairy industry. In cheese and yogurt manufacturing, the lysis of Streptococcus thermophilus cultures by viral attacks can lead to huge economic losses. Nowadays S. thermophilus is considered a well-stablished model organism for the study of natural adaptive immunity (CRISPR-Cas) against phage and plasmids, however, the identification of novel bacteriophage-resistance mechanisms, in this species, is strongly desirable. Here, we demonstrated that the presence of a non-inducible prophage confers phage-immunity to an S. thermophilus strain, by the presence of ltp and a viral noncoding region. S. thermophilus M17PTZA496 arises as an unconventional model to study phage resistance and potentially represents an alternative starter strain for dairy productions.

scholarly journals chewBBACA: A complete suite for gene-by-gene schema creation and strain identification

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mickael Silva ◽  
Miguel Machado ◽  
Diogo N. Silva ◽  
Mirko Rossi ◽  
Jacob Moran-Gilad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Core Genome ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Outbreak Detection ◽  
Strain Identification ◽  
List Type ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Link Type ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Allele Calling

ABSTRACTGene-by-gene approaches are becoming increasingly popular in bacterial genomic epidemiology and outbreak detection. However, there is a lack of open-source scalable software for schema definition and allele calling for these methodologies. The chewBBACA suite was designed to assist users in the creation and evaluation of novel whole-genome or core-genome gene-by-gene typing schemas and subsequent allele calling in bacterial strains of interest. The software can run in a laptop or in high performance clusters making it useful for both small laboratories and large reference centers. ChewBBACA is available athttps://github.com/B-UMMI/chewBBACAor as a docker image athttps://hub.docker.com/r/ummidock/chewbbaca/.DATA SUMMARYAssembled genomes used for the tutorial were downloaded from NCBI in August 2016 by selecting those submitted asStreptococcus agalactiaetaxon or sub-taxa. All the assemblies have been deposited as a zip file in FigShare (https://figshare.com/s/9cbe1d422805db54cd52), where a file with the original ftp link for each NCBI directory is also available.Code for the chewBBACA suite is available athttps://github.com/B-UMMI/chewBBACAwhile the tutorial example is found athttps://github.com/B-UMMI/chewBBACA_tutorial.I/We confirm all supporting data, code and protocols have been provided within the article or through supplementary data files. ⊠IMPACT STATEMENTThe chewBBACA software offers a computational solution for the creation, evaluation and use of whole genome (wg) and core genome (cg) multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemas. It allows researchers to develop wg/cgMLST schemes for any bacterial species from a set of genomes of interest. The alleles identified by chewBBACA correspond to potential coding sequences, possibly offering insights into the correspondence between the genetic variability identified and phenotypic variability. The software performs allele calling in a matter of seconds to minutes per strain in a laptop but is easily scalable for the analysis of large datasets of hundreds of thousands of strains using multiprocessing options. The chewBBACA software thus provides an efficient and freely available open source solution for gene-by-gene methods. Moreover, the ability to perform these tasks locally is desirable when the submission of raw data to a central repository or web services is hindered by data protection policies or ethical or legal concerns.

scholarly journals Probiotic Potential of Indigenous (Bacillus sp. RCS1, Pantoea agglomerans RCS2, and Bacillus cereus strain RCS3) Isolated From Cobia Fish (Rachycentron canadum) and Their Antagonistic Effects on the Growth of Pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, Streptococcus iniae, and Streptococcus agalactiae

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Amenyogbe ◽  
Jian-sheng Huang ◽  
Gang Chen ◽  
Wei-zheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Streptococcus Agalactiae ◽  
Vibrio Harveyi ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Vibrio Alginolyticus ◽  
Pantoea Agglomerans ◽  
Streptococcus Iniae ◽  
Rachycentron Canadum ◽  
Antagonistic Effects ◽  
Wide Range

Large-scale fish farming faces many environmental stresses, which affect their immune systems, growth performance, and physiological homeostasis, resulting in increase in their susceptibility to infections. Some of the most common bacterial infections of cobia fish (Rachycentron canadum) include streptococcosis, vibriosis, furunculosis and mycobacteriosis, and pastelleurosis. Probiotics could be helpful in reducing or limiting the incidence of severe disease infections or outbreaks. Therefore, the present study aimed to isolate the indigenous bacterial species from healthy cobia fish and then selected 3 strains, including Bacillus sp. RCS1 (MW560712), Pantoea agglomerans RCS2 (MW560713), and Bacillus cereus RCS3 (MW560714) from the gut of juvenile’s cobia having advantageous assets or positive characteristics. Their analysis indicated the presence of similar biochemical profiles and all could effectively utilize carbon sources. The biosafety assessment did not show any pathological symptoms after 10 days of injecting the fish with isolated bacteria. The results showed that all the isolated bacteria in the present study had low auto-aggregation capacity within the first 3 h of incubation. The isolated bacteria showed strong tolerance when exposed to a range of pH. Although asymmetrically, a slow rise in the growth of isolated bacteria was observed within the pH range of 1–8 for RC1, 1–7 for RC2, and 1–6 for RC3. The antagonistic effects of isolated bacterial strains on the development of pathogens, including Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, Streptococcus iniae, and Streptococcus agalactiae, were investigated using Luria-Bertani (LB) agar plates. All the isolated bacteria exhibited inhibitory effects against the pathogens, including V. alginolyticus, V. harveyi, S. iniae, and S. agalactiae. These isolated bacteria were characterized with a wide range of antagonistic activities, non-hemolytic activities, high survivability after heat-treatments and safety confidence, and antibiotic susceptibility. Generally, the characteristics displayed by these strains indicated that they could be used as potential probiotics in the aquaculture industry.

scholarly journals Outbreaks, Germination, and Inactivation of Bacillus cereus in Food Products: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (9) ◽  
pp. 1480-1487
Author(s):  
WON CHOI ◽  
SANG-SOON KIM
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Food Processing ◽  
Rapid Detection ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Processing Technologies ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks ◽  
Food Commodity

ABSTRACT Bacillus cereus has been reported as a foodborne pathogen worldwide. Although food processing technologies to inactivate the pathogen have been developed for decades, foodborne outbreaks related to B. cereus have occurred. In the present review, foodborne outbreaks, germination, inactivation, and detection of B. cereus are discussed, along with inactivation mechanisms. B. cereus outbreaks from 2003 to 2016 are reported based on food commodity, number of cases, and consequent illnesses. Germination before sporicidal treatments is highlighted as an effective way to inactivate B. cereus, because the resistance of the pathogen increases significantly following sporulation. Several germinants used for B. cereus are listed, and their efficacies are compared. Finally, recently used interventions with sporicidal mechanisms are identified, and rapid detection methods that have been developed are discussed. Combining two or more interventions, known as the hurdle technology concept, is suggested to maximize the sporicidal effect. Further study is needed to ensure food safety and to understand germination mechanisms and sporicidal resistance of B. cereus. HIGHLIGHTS

scholarly journals High Resolution Melt Assays to Detect and Identify Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Clostridioides difficile Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 561
Author(s):  
Allison C. Bender ◽  
Jessica A. Faulkner ◽  
Katherine Tulimieri ◽  
Thomas H. Boise ◽  
Kelly M. Elkins
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Bacillus Cereus ◽  
Vibrio Parahaemolyticus ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
High Resolution Melt ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Over one hundred bacterial species have been determined to comprise the human microbiota in a healthy individual. Bacteria including Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Clostridioides difficile, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus are found inside of the human body and B. cereus and E. coli are also found on the skin. These bacteria can act as human pathogens upon ingestion of contaminated food or water, if they enter an open wound, or antibiotics, and environment or stress can alter the microbiome. In this study, we present new polymerase chain reaction (PCR) high-resolution melt (HRM) assays to detect and identify the above microorganisms. Amplified DNA from C. difficile, E. coli, B. cereus, and V. parahaemolyticus melted at 80.37 ± 0.45 °C, 82.15 ± 0.37 °C, 84.43 ± 0.50 °C, and 86.74 ± 0.65 °C, respectively. A triplex PCR assay was developed to simultaneously detect and identify E. coli, B. cereus, and V. parahaemolyticus, and cultured microorganisms were successfully amplified, detected, and identified. The assays demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and robustness in testing.

scholarly journals Diversity of Aerobic Bacteria Isolated from Oral and Cloacal Cavities from Free-Living Snakes Species in Costa Rica Rainforest

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Artavia-León ◽  
Ariel Romero-Guerrero ◽  
Carolina Sancho-Blanco ◽  
Norman Rojas ◽  
Rodolfo Umaña-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Ribosomal Database Project ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Taxonomy ◽  
Free Living ◽  
16S Rdna Pcr ◽  
Animal Bites ◽  
Species Specific

Costa Rica has a significant number of snakebites per year and bacterial infections are often complications in these animal bites. Hereby, this study aims to identify, characterize, and report the diversity of the bacterial community in the oral and cloacal cavities of venomous and nonvenomous snakes found in wildlife in Costa Rica. The snakes where captured by casual encounter search between August and November of 2014 in the Quebrada González sector, in Braulio Carrillo National Park. A total of 120 swabs, oral and cloacal, were taken from 16 individuals of the Viperidae and Colubridae families. Samples were cultured on four different media at room temperature. Once isolated in pure culture, colonies were identified with the VITEK® 2C platform (bioMérieux). In order to test the identification provided on environmental isolates, molecular analyses were conducted on 27 isolates of different bacterial species. Specific 16S rDNA PCR-mediated amplification for bacterial taxonomy was performed, then sequenced, and compared with sequences of Ribosomal Database Project (RDP). From 90 bacterial isolates, 40 different bacterial species were identified from both oral and cloacal swabs. These results indicate the diversity of opportunistic pathogens present and their potential to generate infections and zoonosis in humans.

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