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Phylogenomic characterization of a novel corynebacterium species associated with fatal diphtheritic stomatitis in endangered yellow-eyed penguins

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Imen Nouioui

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Abstract

© 2021 American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.Yellow-eyed penguins, Megadyptes antipodes, are an endangered species that are endemic to New Zealand. Outbreaks of diphtheritic stomatitis have caused significant mortality for this species, especially among young chicks. In this study, we isolated 16 Corynebacterium sp. isolates from the oral cavities of 2- to 14-day-old chicks at a range of infection stages and sequenced the genomes to understand their virulence mechanisms. Phylogenomic and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) characterization indicate that these strains belong to a novel Corynebacterium species. A simple multiplex PCRbased diagnostic assay has been developed to identify these strains rapidly and reliably. Similar to other corynebacteria, genomic islands and prophages introduced significant diversity among these strains that has potentially led to minor functional variations between the two lineages. Despite the presence of multiple corynebacterial virulence genes and a spaDEF-type pilus gene cluster among these strains, the survival rate was much higher in Galleria mellonella larvae than in those inoculated with Corynebacterium ulcerans NZRM 818 and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis NZRM 3004. Therefore, these strains are opportunistic pathogens causing high mortality among young penguin chicks due to a less-developed immune system.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Saunderson SC, Nouioui I, Midwinter AC, Wilkinson DA, Young MJ, McInnes KM, Watts J, Sangal V

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: mSystems

Year: 2021

Volume: 6

Issue: 3

Online publication date: 08/06/2021

Acceptance date: 17/05/2021

ISSN (electronic): 2379-5077

Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

URL: https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00320-21

DOI: 10.1128/mSystems.00320-21

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