Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 3, 2025

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues
07:10

A Fluorescence-based Method to Study Bacterial Gene Regulation in Infected Tissues

Published on: February 19, 2019

9.1K

A genome-led study on the pathogenesis of Fusobacterium necrophorum infections

Gary Thapa1, Ambikesh Jayal2, Elvis Sikazwe3

  • 1Public Health Wales Microbiology Aberystwyth, Bronglais General Hospital, Aberystwyth, UK.

Gene
|July 29, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Genomic analysis of Fusobacterium necrophorum reveals strain variations and potential virulence markers. Further research is needed to understand pathogenesis, as human isolates lacked clear correlations to clinical sources.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Fusobacterium necrophorum causes diverse infections with poorly understood pathogenic mechanisms, complicating diagnosis and treatment.
  • Limited knowledge on virulence factors hinders effective management of F. necrophorum infections.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize F. necrophorum genomes for comparative analysis of virulence factors.
  • To identify potential genetic markers associated with F. necrophorum infections and clinical sources.

Main Methods:

  • Whole genome sequencing of 27 F. necrophorum isolates from pharyngotonsillitis patients.
  • Comparative analysis with 42 public NCBI genomes using phylogenomics, pangenomics, pan-GWAS, and virulome analysis.

Main Results:

  • Phylogenomic analysis identified three distinct clades: F. necrophorum subsp. necrophorum (Clade A) and F. necrophorum subsp. funduliforme (Clades B and C).
  • Pan-GWAS and Pan-Virulome analyses suggested potential marker genes linked to isolation sources, requiring further validation.
  • Human isolates did not show a clear correlation between genome markers and clinical sources, unlike some animal isolates.

Conclusions:

  • Genomic characterization provides insights into F. necrophorum pathogenesis and strain diversity.
  • The lack of clear genomic markers in human isolates suggests the involvement of co-infections or host factors in disease development.
  • Further investigation into non-genomic factors is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of F. necrophorum pathogenicity.
Keywords:
Fusobacterium necrophorumGenomesLemierre’s syndromePathogenesisPharyngotonsillitisVirulence

More Related Videos

Models of Murine Vaginal Colonization by Anaerobically Grown Bacteria08:53

Models of Murine Vaginal Colonization by Anaerobically Grown Bacteria

Published on: May 25, 2022

4.0K
Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility12:29

Generation of Null Mutants to Elucidate the Role of Bacterial Glycosyltransferases in Bacterial Motility

Published on: March 11, 2022

2.4K

Related Concept Videos

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
87
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway02:26

NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway

The transcription factor NF-κB was discovered in 1986 in the lab of Nobel laureate Professor David Baltimore, for its interaction with the immunoglobulin light chain enhancer in B-cells. After more than three decades of study, it is now evident that NF-κB regulates the expression of over 100 genes. Most of these genes play an essential role in the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as the inflammatory responses of animals.
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The...
7.8K
Bacterial Phylum Firmicutes01:27

Bacterial Phylum Firmicutes

Firmicutes is a diverse phylum of Gram-positive bacteria characterized by a low GC content in their genomes. This phylum includes organisms with monoderm or diderm cell envelopes, highlighting a complex evolutionary history. Firmicutes comprises several major orders, including Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, and Bacillales, which exhibit remarkable diversity in their morphology, metabolism, and ecological roles.The order Lactobacillales includes lactic acid bacteria, which are fermentative...
126
Modern Molecular Taxonomy01:29

Modern Molecular Taxonomy

Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
117