Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis genome characterization unveils genetic features that highlight their zoonotic potential

• Published in: MicrobiologyOpen (Weinheim) 2022-10, Vol.11 (5), p.e1329-n/a
• Main Authors: Orsini, Massimiliano, Ianni, Andrea, Zinzula, Luca
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Annotations; Antimicrobial agents; Brucella - genetics; Brucella ceti; Brucella pinnipedialis; Brucellosis; Brucellosis - microbiology; Caniformia - microbiology; Cetacea - microbiology; Functional analysis; Genes; genome annotation; Genomes; Genotypes; Global health; Gram-negative bacteria; Humans; Infections; Marine environment; Marine mammals; Metadata; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Phenotypes; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Proteins; Public health; Software packages; Virulence; virulence factors; Whales & whaling; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 2045-8827; 2045-8827
• DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1329

The Gram‐negative bacteria Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis circulate in marine environments primarily infecting marine mammals, where they cause an often‐fatal disease named brucellosis. The increase of brucellosis among several species of cetaceans and pinnipeds, together with the report of sporadic human infections, raises concerns about the zoonotic potential of these pathogens on a large scale and may pose a threat to coastal communities worldwide. Therefore, the characterization of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genetic features is a priority to better understand the pathological factors that may impact global health. Moreover, an in‐depth functional analysis of the B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genome in the context of virulence and pathogenesis was not undertaken so far. Within this picture, here we present the comparative whole‐genome characterization of all B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes available in public resources, uncovering a collection of genetic tools possessed by these aquatic bacterial species compared to their zoonotic terrestrial relatives. We show that B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genomes display a wide host‐range infection capability and a polyphyletic phylogeny within the genus, showing a genomic structure that fits the canonical definition of closeness. Functional genome annotation led to identifying genes related to several pathways involved in mechanisms of infection, others conferring pan‐susceptibility to antimicrobials and a set of virulence genes that highlight the similarity of B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis genotypes to those of Brucella spp. displaying human‐infecting phenotypes. Orsini and colleagues present the whole‐genome characterization of Brucella ceti and Brucella pinnipedialis, two Gram‐negative bacteria that infect marine mammals causing lethal disease. By de novo assembling of raw sequencing data and comparative annotation of all available genome sequences in databases, the authors provide insights on Brucella genus phylogeny, undertake in‐depth functional analysis of genes involved in virulence and pathogenesis, and highlight the zoonotic potential of these two pathogens that represent a potential threat for the health of coastal communities worldwide.