Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis ofYersinia enterocoliticaandYersinia pseudotuberculosisIdentifies Genetic Traits to Elucidate Their Different Ecologies

Abstract

EnteropathogenicYersinia enterocoliticaandYersinia pseudotuberculosisare both etiological agents for intestinal infection known as yersiniosis, but their epidemiology and ecology bear many differences. Swine are the only known reservoir forY. enterocolitica4/O:3 strains, which are the most common cause of human disease, whileY. pseudotuberculosishas been isolated from a variety of sources, including vegetables and wild animals. Infections caused byY. enterocoliticamainly originate from swine, but fresh produce has been the source for widespreadY. pseudotuberculosisoutbreaks within recent decades. A comparative genomic hybridization analysis with a DNA microarray based on threeYersinia enterocoliticaand fourYersinia pseudotuberculosisgenomes was conducted to shed light on the genomic differences between enteropathogenicYersinia. The hybridization results identifiedY. pseudotuberculosisstrains to carry operons linked with the uptake and utilization of substances not found in living animal tissues but present in soil, plants, and rotting flesh.Y. pseudotuberculosisalso harbors a selection of type VI secretion systems targeting other bacteria and eukaryotic cells. These genetic traits are not found inY. enterocolitica, and it appears that whileY. pseudotuberculosishas many tools beneficial for survival in varied environments, theY. enterocoliticagenome is more streamlined and adapted to their preferred animal reservoir.