%0 Journal Article
%T Genomic analysis of Campylobacter fetus subspecies: identification of candidate virulence determinants and diagnostic assay targets
%A Paula M Moolhuijzen
%A Ala E Lew-Tabor
%A Bartosz M Wlodek
%A Fern¨˘n G Ag¨šero
%A Diego J Comerci
%A Rodolfo A Ugalde
%A Daniel O Sanchez
%A Rudi Appels
%A Matthew Bellgard
%J BMC Microbiology
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1471-2180-9-86
%X Eighty Kb of genomic sequence (22 contigs) was identified as unique to C. fetus subsp. venerealis AZUL-94 and consisted of type IV secretory pathway components, putative plasmid genes and hypothetical proteins. Of the 9 PCR assays developed to target C. fetus subsp. venerealis type IV secretion system genes, 4 of these were specific for C. fetus subsp. venerealis biovar venerealis and did not detect C. fetus subsp. venerealis biovar intermedius. Two assays were specific for C. fetus subsp. venerealis AZUL-94 strain, with a further single assay specific for the AZUL-94 strain and C. fetus subsp. venerealis biovar intermedius (and not the remaining C. fetus subsp. venerealis biovar venerealis strains tested). C. fetus subsp. fetus and C. fetus subsp. venerealis were found to share most common Campylobacter virulence factors such as SAP, chemotaxis, flagellar biosynthesis, 2-component systems and cytolethal distending toxin subunits (A, B, C). We did not however, identify in C. fetus the full complement of bacterial adherence candidates commonly found in other Campylobacter spp.The comparison of the available C. fetus subsp. venerealis genome sequence with the C. fetus subsp. fetus genome identified 80 kb of unique C. fetus subsp. venerealis AZUL94 sequence, with subsequent PCR confirmation demonstrating inconsistent amplification of these targets in all other C. fetus subsp. venerealis strains and biovars tested. The assays developed here highlight the complexity of targeting strain specific virulence genes for field studies for the molecular identification and epidemiology of C. fetus.Northern Australian beef herds have a 35% unexplained reduction in calf production. In Argentina, calf production has not declined, but remains at a constantly low rate (63%). To aid the detection and treatment of cattle infected with Campylobacter fetus our genomic analysis has identified candidate subspecies specific genes that can be used as diagnostic tools.The Campylobacter genus i
%U http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/9/86