TY - JOUR
T1 - Staphylococcus saccharolyticus Isolated From Blood Cultures and Prosthetic Joint Infections Exhibits Excessive Genome Decay
AU - Bruggemann, Holger
AU - Poehlein, Anja
AU - Brzuszkiewicz, Elzbieta
AU - Scavenius, Carsten
AU - Enghild, Jan J.
AU - Al-Zeer, Munir A.
AU - Brinkmann, Volker
AU - Jensen, Anders
AU - Soderquist, Bo
PY - 2019/3/12
Y1 - 2019/3/12
N2 - The slow-growing, anaerobic, coagulase-negative species Staphylococcus saccharolyticus is found on human skin and in clinical specimens but its pathogenic potential is unclear. Here, we investigated clinical isolates and sequenced the genomes of seven strains of S. saccharolyticus. Phylogenomic analyses showed that the closest relative of S. saccharolyticus is Staphylococcus capitis with an average nucleotide identity of 80%. Previously sequenced strains assigned to S. saccharoiyticus are misclassified and belong to S. capitis. Based on single nucleotide polymorphisms of the core genome, the population of S. saccharolyticus can be divided into two clades that also differ in a few larger genomic islands as part of the flexible genome. An unexpected feature of S. saccharolyticus is extensive genome decay, with over 300 pseudogenes, indicating ongoing reductive evolution. Many genes of the core metabolism are not functional, rendering the species auxotrophic for several amino acids, which could explain its slow growth and need for fastidious growth conditions. Secreted proteins of S. saccharolyticus were determined; they include stress response proteins such as heat and oxidative stress-related factors, as well as immunodominant staphylococcal surface antigens and enzymes that can degrade host tissue components. The strains secrete lipases and a hyaluronic acid lyase. Hyaluronidase as well as urease activities were detected in biochemical assays, with Glade-specific differences. Our study revealed that S. saccharolyticus has adapted its genome, possibly due to a recent change of habitat; moreover, the data imply that the species has tissue-invasive potential and might cause prosthetic joint infections.
AB - The slow-growing, anaerobic, coagulase-negative species Staphylococcus saccharolyticus is found on human skin and in clinical specimens but its pathogenic potential is unclear. Here, we investigated clinical isolates and sequenced the genomes of seven strains of S. saccharolyticus. Phylogenomic analyses showed that the closest relative of S. saccharolyticus is Staphylococcus capitis with an average nucleotide identity of 80%. Previously sequenced strains assigned to S. saccharoiyticus are misclassified and belong to S. capitis. Based on single nucleotide polymorphisms of the core genome, the population of S. saccharolyticus can be divided into two clades that also differ in a few larger genomic islands as part of the flexible genome. An unexpected feature of S. saccharolyticus is extensive genome decay, with over 300 pseudogenes, indicating ongoing reductive evolution. Many genes of the core metabolism are not functional, rendering the species auxotrophic for several amino acids, which could explain its slow growth and need for fastidious growth conditions. Secreted proteins of S. saccharolyticus were determined; they include stress response proteins such as heat and oxidative stress-related factors, as well as immunodominant staphylococcal surface antigens and enzymes that can degrade host tissue components. The strains secrete lipases and a hyaluronic acid lyase. Hyaluronidase as well as urease activities were detected in biochemical assays, with Glade-specific differences. Our study revealed that S. saccharolyticus has adapted its genome, possibly due to a recent change of habitat; moreover, the data imply that the species has tissue-invasive potential and might cause prosthetic joint infections.
KW - Staphylococcus
KW - Staphylococcus saccharolyticus
KW - coegulase-negative staphylococci
KW - prosthetic joint infection
KW - slow-growing bacteria
KW - genome
KW - genome decay
KW - hyaluronic acid lyase
KW - COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI
KW - VIRULENCE FACTORS
KW - AUREUS
KW - EXPRESSION
KW - PROTEINS
KW - SEQUENCE
KW - SYSTEM
KW - IDENTIFICATION
KW - HYALURONIDASE
KW - ENDOCARDITIS
KW - Slow-growing bacteria
KW - Prosthetic joint infection
KW - Coagulase-negative staphylococci
KW - Genome decay
KW - Hyaluronic acid lyase
KW - Genome
U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00478
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00478
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30915059
SN - 1664-302X
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
JF - Frontiers in Microbiology
M1 - 478
ER -