virulence factors
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyGenomic Analysis of Bovine Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Milk To Elucidate Diversity and Determine the Distributions of Antimicrobial and Virulence Genes and Their Association with Mastitis
Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of bovine intramammary infections, leading to significant economic losses to dairy industry in Canada and worldwide. There is a lack of knowledge regarding genetic diversity, the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and virulence genes for S. aureus...
- Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionCoexistence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Virulence Factors Deciphered by Large-Scale Complete Genome Analysis
Antibiotic resistance has become a serious global health concern. Despite numerous case studies, a comprehensive analysis of ARG and VF coexistence in bacteria is lacking. In this study, we explore the coexistence profiles of ARGs and VFs in diverse categories of bacteria by using a high-resolution bioinformatics approach. We also provide compelling evidence of unique ARG-VF gene pairs coexisting in specific bacterial genomes and reveal...
- Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyPqsE Is Essential for RhlR-Dependent Quorum Sensing Regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a versatile bacterium found in various environments. It can cause severe infections in immunocompromised patients and naturally resists many antibiotics. The World Health Organization listed it among the top priority pathogens for research and development of new antimicrobial compounds. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-cell communication...
- Special Issue Perspective | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceExploring the Evolution of Virulence Factors through Bioinformatic Data Mining
The molecular evolution of virulence factors is a central theme in our understanding of bacterial pathogenesis and host-microbe interactions. Using bioinformatics and genome data mining, recent studies have shed light on the evolution of important virulence factor families and the mechanisms by which they have adapted and diversified in function.
- Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyComprehensive Virulence Gene Profiling of Bovine Non-aureus Staphylococci Based on Whole-Genome Sequencing Data
Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are the most frequently isolated pathogens from milk in dairy cattle worldwide. The virulence factors (VFs) and mechanisms by which these bacteria cause udder infection are not fully known. We determined the distribution and associations of 191 VFs in 25 NAS species and investigated the relationship between VFs and disease. Although the overall number of VFs was not associated with disease...
- Editor's Pick Research Article | Ecological and Evolutionary ScienceComparative Genome Analyses of Vibrio anguillarum Strains Reveal a Link with Pathogenicity Traits
Comparative genome analysis of strains of a pathogenic bacterial species can be a powerful tool to discover acquisition of mobile genetic elements related to virulence. Here, we compared 28 V. anguillarum strains that differed in virulence in fish larval models. By pan-genome analyses, we found that six of nine highly virulent strains had a unique core and accessory genome. In contrast, V. anguillarum strains that were...