Whole genome mapping as a fast-track tool to assess genomic stability of sequenced Staphylococcus aureus strains

Whole genome (optical) mapping (WGM), a state-of-the-art mapping technology based on the generation of high resolution restriction maps, has so far been used for typing clinical outbreak strains and for mapping de novo sequence contigs in genome sequencing projects. We employed WGM to assess the genomic stability of previously sequenced Staphylococcus aureus strains that are commonly used in laboratories as reference standards.

S. aureus strains (n = 12) were mapped on the Argus™ Optical Mapping System (Opgen Inc, Gaithersburg, USA). Assembly of NcoI-restricted DNA molecules, visualization, and editing of whole genome maps was performed employing MapManager and MapSolver softwares (Opgen Inc). In silico whole genome NcoI-restricted maps were also generated from available sequence data, and compared to the laboratory-generated maps. Strains showing differences between the two maps were resequenced using Nextera XT DNA Sample Preparation Kit and Miseq Reagent Kit V2 (MiSeq, Illumina) and de novo assembled into sequence contigs using the Velvet assembly tool. Sequence data were correlated with corresponding whole genome maps to perform contig mapping and genome assembly using MapSolver. Of the twelve strains tested, one (USA300_FPR3757) showed a 19-kbp deletion on WGM compared to its in silico generated map and reference sequence data. Resequencing of the USA300_FPR3757 identified the deleted fragment to be a 13 kbp-long integrative conjugative element ICE6013.

Frequent subculturing and inter-laboratory transfers can induce genomic and therefore, phenotypic changes that could compromise the utility of standard reference strains. WGM can thus be used as a rapid genome screening method to identify genomic rearrangements whose size and type can be confirmed by sequencing.