NYMC Faculty Publications

Inter-Species Gene Flow Drives Ongoing Evolution of Streptococcus Pyogenes and Streptococcus Dysgalactiae Subsp. Equisimilis

Ouli Xie, Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Jacqueline M. Morris, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Andrew J. Hayes, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Rebecca J. Towers, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
Magnus G. Jespersen, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
John A. Lees, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Nouri L. Ben Zakour, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Olga Berking, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Sarah L. Baines, Doherty Applied Microbial Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Glen P. Carter, Doherty Applied Microbial Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Gerry Tonkin-Hill, Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Layla Schrieber, Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Liam McIntyre, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Jake A. Lacey, Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Taylah B. James, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
Kadaba S. Sriprakash, Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Scott A. Beatson, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Tadao Hasegawa, Department of Bacteriology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
Phil Giffard, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
Andrew C. Steer, Tropical Diseases, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia.
Michael R. Batzloff, Infection and Inflammation Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Bernard W. Beall, Respiratory Disease Branch, National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Marcos D. Pinho, Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Mario Ramirez, Instituto de Microbiologia, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
Debra E. Bessen, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
Gordon Dougan, Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Stephen D. Bentley, Parasites and Microbes, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK.
Mark J. Walker, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre and School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Bart J. Currie, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
Steven Y. Tong, Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
David J. McMillan, School of Science, Technology and Engineering, and Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia.
Mark R. Davies, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia. mark.davies1@unimelb.edu.au.

Author Type(s)

Faculty

Journal Title

Nature Communications

First Page

2286

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-13-2024

Department

Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology

Abstract

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (SDSE) is an emerging cause of human infection with invasive disease incidence and clinical manifestations comparable to the closely related species, Streptococcus pyogenes. Through systematic genomic analyses of 501 disseminated SDSE strains, we demonstrate extensive overlap between the genomes of SDSE and S. pyogenes. More than 75% of core genes are shared between the two species with one third demonstrating evidence of cross-species recombination. Twenty-five percent of mobile genetic element (MGE) clusters and 16 of 55 SDSE MGE insertion regions were shared across species. Assessing potential cross-protection from leading S. pyogenes vaccine candidates on SDSE, 12/34 preclinical vaccine antigen genes were shown to be present in >99% of isolates of both species. Relevant to possible vaccine evasion, six vaccine candidate genes demonstrated evidence of inter-species recombination. These findings demonstrate previously unappreciated levels of genomic overlap between these closely related pathogens with implications for streptococcal pathobiology, disease surveillance and prevention.

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