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Clostridium botulinum Group II Isolate Phylogenomic Profiling Using Whole-Genome Sequence Data.
K A Weedmark1, P Mabon1, K L Hayden1
1National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|June 28, 2015
Summary
Whole-genome sequencing of Clostridium botulinum group II isolates revealed two distinct clusters. Core single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis offered higher resolution for classifying isolates and tracing outbreaks.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Genomics
- Food Safety and Public Health
Background:
- Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium producing potent neurotoxins responsible for botulism.
- Accurate characterization and typing of C. botulinum isolates are crucial for public health surveillance and outbreak investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize Clostridium botulinum group II isolates using in silico whole-genome sequence data.
- To evaluate the discriminatory power of multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis for isolate classification and source attribution.
Main Methods:
- Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 163 Clostridium botulinum group II isolates.
- In silico analysis using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and core single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis.
- Comparison of typing methods for clade-level classification, isolate resolution, and outbreak/location discrimination.
Main Results:
- Two distinct clusters of C. botulinum group II isolates were identified, encompassing various botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) types and subtypes.
- Core SNP analysis demonstrated higher resolution than MLST, accurately distinguishing isolates by outbreak and geographic origin.
- Both MLST and core SNP analyses were consistent in clade-level classification.
Conclusions:
- Next-generation sequencing-based typing approaches are valuable tools for C. botulinum isolate characterization and source attribution.
- Core SNP analysis provides enhanced resolution for epidemiological investigations compared to traditional MLST.
- Specific SNP loci and MLST alleles were identified for improved isolate comparison.
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