TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolutionary dynamics of complete Campylobacter pan-genomes and the bacterial species concept
AU - Lefébure, Tristan
AU - Bitar, Paulina D.Pavinski
AU - Suzuki, Haruo
AU - Stanhope, Michael J.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Defining bacterial species and understanding the relative cohesiveness of different components of their genomes remains a fundamental problem in microbiology. Bacterial species tend to be comprised of both a set of core and dispensable genes, with the sum of these two components forming the species pan-genome. The role of the core and dispensable genes in defining bacterial species and the question of whether pan-genomes are finite or infinite remain unclear. Here we demonstrate, through the analysis of 96 genome sequences derived from two closely related sympatric sister species of pathogenic bacteria (Campylobacter coli and C. jejuni), that their pan-genome is indeed finite and that there are unique and cohesive features to each of their genomes defining their genomic identity. The two species have a similar pan-genome size; however, C. coli has acquired a larger core genome and each species has evolved a number of species-specific core genes, possibly reflecting different adaptive strategies. Genome-wide assessment of the level of lateral gene transfer within and between the two sister species, as well as within the core and non-core genes, demonstrates a resistance to interspecies recombination in the core genome of the two species and therefore provides persuasive support for the core genome hypothesis for bacterial species.
AB - Defining bacterial species and understanding the relative cohesiveness of different components of their genomes remains a fundamental problem in microbiology. Bacterial species tend to be comprised of both a set of core and dispensable genes, with the sum of these two components forming the species pan-genome. The role of the core and dispensable genes in defining bacterial species and the question of whether pan-genomes are finite or infinite remain unclear. Here we demonstrate, through the analysis of 96 genome sequences derived from two closely related sympatric sister species of pathogenic bacteria (Campylobacter coli and C. jejuni), that their pan-genome is indeed finite and that there are unique and cohesive features to each of their genomes defining their genomic identity. The two species have a similar pan-genome size; however, C. coli has acquired a larger core genome and each species has evolved a number of species-specific core genes, possibly reflecting different adaptive strategies. Genome-wide assessment of the level of lateral gene transfer within and between the two sister species, as well as within the core and non-core genes, demonstrates a resistance to interspecies recombination in the core genome of the two species and therefore provides persuasive support for the core genome hypothesis for bacterial species.
KW - Lateral gene transfer
KW - Pan-and core genome
KW - Prokaryote
KW - Speciation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77958479691&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77958479691&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/gbe/evq048
DO - 10.1093/gbe/evq048
M3 - Article
C2 - 20688752
AN - SCOPUS:77958479691
VL - 2
SP - 646
EP - 655
JO - Genome Biology and Evolution
JF - Genome Biology and Evolution
SN - 1759-6653
IS - 1
ER -