Genomic characterization and virulence gene profiling of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae isolated from widespread muskox mortalities in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

• Published in: BMC Genomics
• Main Authors: Seru, Lakshmi Vineesha, Forde, Taya L, Roberto-Charron, Amélie, Mavrot, Fabien, Niu, Yan D, Kutz, Susan J
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BioMed Central 2024
• Subjects: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae; Ovibos moschatus; Arctic; Epidemic; Pan-genome wide association studies; Pathogenicity islands; Prophages; Virulence genes; Arctic Archipelago; Arctic Fox; Canadian Arctic Archipelago; muskox; Northwest Territories; Nunavut; ovibos moschatus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10592-9; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39004696; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11247837/

Muskoxen are important ecosystem components and provide food, economic opportunities, and cultural well-being for Indigenous communities in the Canadian Arctic. Between 2010 and 2021, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from carcasses of muskoxen, caribou, a seal, and an Arctic fox during multiple large scale mortality events in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. A single strain ('Arctic clone') of E. rhusiopathiae was associated with the mortalities on Banks, Victoria and Prince Patrick Islands, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada (2010-2017). The objectives of this study were to (i) characterize the genomes of E. rhusiopathiae isolates obtained from more recent muskox mortalities in the Canadian Arctic in 2019 and 2021; (ii) identify and compare common virulence traits associated with the core genome and mobile genetic elements (i.e. pathogenicity islands and prophages) among Arctic clone versus other E. rhusiopathiae genomes; and iii) use pan-genome wide association studies (GWAS) to determine unique genetic contents of the Arctic clone that may encode virulence traits and that could be used for diagnostic purposes.