Publication
Title
Divergence between the highly virulent zoonotic pathogen Helicobacter heilmannii and its closest relative, the low-virulence "Helicobacter ailurogastricus" sp nov.
Author
Abstract
Helicobacter heilmannii naturally colonizes the stomachs of dogs and cats and has been associated with gastric disorders in humans. Nine feline Helicobacter strains, classified as H. heilmannii based on ureAB and 16S rRNA gene sequences, were divided into a highly virulent and a low-virulence group. The genomes of these strains were sequenced to investigate their phylogenetic relationships, to define their gene content and diversity, and to determine if the differences in pathogenicity were associated with the presence or absence of potential virulence genes. The capacities of these helicobacters to bind to the gastric mucosa were investigated as well. Our analyses revealed that the low-virulence strains do not belong to the species H. heilmannii but to a novel, closely related species for which we propose the name Helicobacter ailurogastricus. Several homologs of H. pylori virulence factors, such as IceA1, HrgA, and jhp0562-like glycosyltransferase, are present in H. heilmannii but absent in H. ailurogastricus. Both species contain a VacA-like autotransporter, for which the passenger domain is remarkably larger in H. ailurogastricus than in H. heilmannii. In addition, H. ailurogastricus shows clear differences in binding to the gastric mucosa compared to H. heilmannii. These findings highlight the low-virulence character of this novel Helicobacter species.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Infection and immunity. - Washington, D.C.
Publication
Washington, D.C. : 2016
ISSN
0019-9567
DOI
10.1128/IAI.01300-15
Volume/pages
84 :1 (2016) , p. 293-306
ISI
000367187200021
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Publication type
Subject
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 31.01.2017
Last edited 16.02.2023
To cite this reference