Phylogeny and Distribution of Vector-Borne Pathogens: What to Expect from Genomics?

Andersson, Siv (1), Lindroos, Hillevi (1); Mira, Alex (1); Repsibler, Dirk (1)

1. Dept Molecular Evolution, Univ Uppsala, Sweden

Improved analytical methods for the categorization of bacteria based on whole-genome information offer new opportunities for studies of the phylogeny and geographical distribution of zoonotic agents. Here, we illustrate how genomic information combined with bioinformatic tools aid in strain identification and comparison, using our own genome sequence data from Bartonella as a case study.

The genus Bartonella contains more than 16 vector-borne species that infect a wide variety of animals. The starting point for the discussion are the 1.9 Mb genome of Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of cat-scratch disease and the 1.6 Mb genome of Bartonella quintana, the agent of trench fever. Cats are the natural reservoirs of B. henselae and transmission occurs via cat fleas. In contrast, B. quintana has no natural reservoir other than humans and employs the human body louse as its vector.

We show how estimates of substitution frequencies enable a rational selection of genes appropriate for MLST-analysis for any given level of sequence divergence. Recently developed automatic tools for phylogenomic analyses enable evolutionary relationships to be inferred and visualized for all genes in the genome in a large-scale manner. This provides a framework onto which a variety of variable phenotypic traits can be mapped. These include virulence features as well as SNPs that generate
diversity among surface proteins that may be used for the characterization of closely related isolates from different geographical areas.

We also discuss methods and software that support studies of genome-composition patterns among strains and species with the aid of microarrays and demonstrate how the cross-hybridization pattern of two closely related genomes may help define the limits of the recognition signal obtained for highly divergent strains. Finally, we present our own recently developed visualization tools for highlighting differences in genome composition and metabolic pathways among species and strains.

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