Comparative phylo-pangenomics reveals generalist lifestyles in representative Acinetobacter species and proposes candidate gene markers for species identification

Autor(es)

Goncalves de Almeida, Avio Guilherme ^[1] ; Rueda Furlan, Joao Pedro ^[1] ; Stehling, Eliana Guedes ^[1] ; Pereira De Martinis, Elaine Cristina ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Ciencias Farmaceut Ribeirao Preto, Ave Cafe S-N, BR-14040903 Ribeirao Preto - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Gene; v. 791, JUL 30 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Acinetobacter species have the potential to invade and colonize immunocompromised patients, therefore being well-known as opportunistic pathogens. Among these bacteria, the species of the Acinetobacter calcoaceticusAcinetobacter baumannii \& ldquo;complex \& rdquo; (Acb members) emerge as the main often isolated bacteria in clinical specimens. The unequivocal taxonomy is crucial to correctly identify these species and associated with comparative genomic analyses aids to understand their life-styles as well. In this study, all publicly available Acinetobacter species at the date of this study preparation were analyzed. The results revealed that the Acb members are in fact a complex when phenotypic methods are confronted, while for comparative and phylogenomics analyses this term is misleading, since they composed a monophyletic group instead. Nine best gene markers (response regulator, recJ, recG, phosphomannomutase, pepSY, monovalent cation/H + antiporter subunit D, mnmE, glnE, and bamA) were selected for identification of Acinetobacter species. Moreover, representative strains of each species were split according their isolation sources in the categories: environmental, human, insect and non-human vertebrate. Neither niche-specific genome signature nor niche-associated functional and pathogenic potential were associated with their isolation source, meaning it is not the main force acting on Acinetobacter adaptation in a given niche and corroborating that their ubiquitous distribution is a reflex of their generalist life-styles. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 18/01890-3 - Estudo do perfil de resistência, virulência e epidemiológico de Escherichia coli isoladas do meio ambiente
• Beneficiário: João Pedro Rueda Furlan
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado