Genome-wide identification of host-segregating SNPs for source attribution of clinical Campylobacter coli isolates

International audienceCampylobacter is among the most common causes of gastroenteritis worldwide. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the most common species causing human-disease. DNA-sequence-based methods for strain characterization have focussed largely on C. jejuni, responsible for 80-90% of infections, meaning that C. coli epidemiology has lagged behind. Here we have analyzed the genome of 450 C. coli isolates to determine genetic markers that can discriminate isolates sampled from 3 major reservoir hosts (chickens, cattle and pigs). These markers were then applied to identify the source of infection of 147 C. coli from French clinical cases. Using STRUCTURE software, 259 potential host-segregating markers were revealed by probabilistic characterization of SNP frequency variation in strain collections from three different hosts. These SNPs were found in 41 genes or intergenic regions, mostly coding for proteins involved in motility and membrane functions. Source attribution of clinical isolates based on the differential presence of these markers confirmed chicken as the most common source of C. coli infection in France.IMPORTANCE Genome-wide and source attribution studies based on Campylobacter species have shown their importance for the understanding of foodborne infections. Although the use of MLST based on 7 genes from C. jejuni is a powerful method to structure populations, when applied to C. coli results have not clearly demonstrated their robustness. Therefore, we aim here to provide more accurate data based on the identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Results from this study reveal an important number of host-segregating SNPs, found in proteins implied in motility, membrane functions or DNA repair systems. These findings offer new interesting opportunities for further study on C. coli adaptation to its environment. Additionally, the results demonstrate that poultry is potentially the main reservoir of C. coli in France

Recurrent Campylobacter jejuni Infections with In Vivo Selection of Resistance to Macrolides and Carbapenems: Molecular Characterization of Resistance Determinants

Erratum in: Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Dec 12;11(6):e0312123. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03121-23. Epub 2023 Oct 10.Free PMC article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10434052/We present two independent cases of recurrent multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infection in immunocompromised hosts and the clinical challenges encountered due to the development of high-level carbapenem resistance. The mechanisms associated with this unusual resistance for Campylobacters were characterized. Initial macrolide and carbapenem-susceptible strains acquired resistance to erythromycin (MIC . 256mg/L), ertapenem (MIC . 32mg/L), and meropenem (MIC . 32mg/L) during treatment. Carbapenem-resistant isolates developed an in-frame insertion resulting in an extra Asp residue in the major outer membrane protein PorA, within the extracellular loop L3 that connects b-strands 5 and 6 and forms a constriction zone involved in Ca21 binding. The isolates presenting the highest MIC to ertapenem exhibited an extra nonsynonymous mutation (G167AjGly56Asp) at PorA’s extracellular loop L1. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem susceptibility patterns suggest drug impermeability, related to either insertion and/or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within porA. Similar molecular events occurring in two independent cases support the association of these mechanisms with carbapenem resistance in Campylobacter spp.Importance: Carbapenem susceptibility patterns suggest drug impermeability, related to either insertion and/or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within porA. Similar molecular events occurring in two independent cases support the association of these mechanisms with carbapenem resistance in Campylobacter spp.This work was partially supported by GenomePT (ref. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184) from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

Génomique appliquée à l'étude des infections par les bactéries des genres Campylobacter et Helicobacter.

Intestinal and gastric bacterial infections caused by Campylobacter and Helicobacter bacteria are frequent: Campylobacter species can lead to severe gastroenteritis cases through the consumption of contaminated products such as meat and Helicobacter bacteria may be responsible of ulcers or gastric cancers. More than 200,000 campylobacteriosis cases are reported in the European Union each year. It has also been shown that about 50% of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori. A large number of Campylobacter strains and gastric biopsies from clinical cases are received daily at the French National Reference Center for Campylobacters and Helicobacter (NRCCH) where analyses such as species identification and antimicrobial resistance determination are performed. Several methods are used to study these pathogens: bacterial cultures, antibiograms, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and DNA extraction for real-time PCR. Despite the fact these analyses are cheap and quick, it may also introduce some disadvantages: for example species identification using MALDI-TOF is sometimes non-significant and the determination of molecular resistance mecanisms among resistant isolates can also be challenging. Today, next-gen sequencing is a crucial tool to generate a large amount of data and, combined with bioinformatics, can solve numerous clinical problems encountered in the laboratory. In order to modernize the analysis of French clinical cases performed at the NRCCH, various bioinformatic tools and scripts were set up and developped during this PhD. The main objective was to enrich our knowledge on these bacterial infections by highlighting DNA and protein sequences variations involved in various problematics. Over these three years, we have then identify: SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) within the genome of Campylobacter coli that are able to discriminate three different sources of contamination (chickens, cattle and pigs), new antimicrobial resistance genes that have emerged in France in the past few years but also new Campylobacter and Helicobacter species. These differents data and tools are now routinely used in the NRCCH laboratory. All these analyses were made possible by the use of Linux environment and Bash or Python programming languages allowing the study of thousands of DNA sequences from a variety of clinical isolates that have been sequenced throughout many projects. This «genomic exploration» was here the key to answer the different clinical issues.Les infections bactériennes intestinales et gastriques par les bactéries du genre Campylobacter et Helicobacter sont très fréquentes: l’une pouvant provoquer des gastro-entérites sévères des suites d’une contamination alimentaire (principalement la viande) et l’autre étant liée au développement d’ulcères ou bien de cancers gastriques. Plus de 200 000 cas de campylobacterioses sont recensés dans l’Union Européenne chaque année, avec comme principale espèce Campylobacter jejuni. De plus, environ 50% de la population mondiale est infectée par Helicobacter pylori. De très nombreuses souches de Campylobacter et de biopsies gastriques sont reçues quotidiennement au CNR des Campylobacters et des Hélicobacters (CNRCH) où y sont menées des analyses telles l’identification de l’espèce et de la résistance aux antibiotiques. Plusieurs méthodes sont mises en place pour étudier ces pathogènes : cultures bactériennes, antibiogrammes, spectromètre de masse MALDI-TOF et extraction d’ADN pour des PCR en temps réel. Malgré la rapidité et le moindre coût de ces méthodes, les utiliser en routine présente des désavantages notamment des identifications d’espèces parfois non concluantes avec le MALDI-TOF ou la difficulté de déterminer les mécanismes moléculaires de résistance. Aujourd’hui, le séquençage haut débit couplé à la bio-informatique permet de générer des données cruciales pour résoudre ces nombreuses problématiques rencontrées en laboratoire. C’est en vue de moderniser les analyses de cas cliniques français effectuées au CNRCH que différents outils et scripts bio-informatiques ont été mis en place mais aussi développés durant ce doctorat. Le principal objectif étant d’enrichir nos connaissances sur ces infections bactériennes : de mettre en évidence des variations dans les séquences d’ADN (gène et mutations) mais aussi protéiques impliquées dans diverses problématiques. Ainsi, il a pu être identifié durant ces trois années : des SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) dans le génome de Campylobacter coli spécifiques à trois différentes sources de contamination (la volaille, les bovins et les porcs), des nouveaux gènes de résistance aux antibiotiques qui émergent sur le territoire métropolitain mais aussi des nouvelles espèces du genre Helicobacter ou Campylobacter. Ces outils et données sont d’ores et déjà utilisés en routine au sein du CNRCH. Toutes ces analyses ont pu être possibles via l’utilisation de l’environnement Linux (progammation Bash et Python) permettant d’étudier des milliers de séquences d’ADN provenant d’une variété de souches séquencées au cours des différents projets. Cette «exploration génomique» fût ici la clé pour répondre aux différentes problématiques cliniques

Genomics applied to the study of campylobacter and helicobacter infections.

Les infections bactériennes intestinales et gastriques par les bactéries du genre Campylobacter et Helicobacter sont très fréquentes: l’une pouvant provoquer des gastro-entérites sévères des suites d’une contamination alimentaire (principalement la viande) et l’autre étant liée au développement d’ulcères ou bien de cancers gastriques. Plus de 200 000 cas de campylobacterioses sont recensés dans l’Union Européenne chaque année, avec comme principale espèce Campylobacter jejuni. De plus, environ 50% de la population mondiale est infectée par Helicobacter pylori. De très nombreuses souches de Campylobacter et de biopsies gastriques sont reçues quotidiennement au CNR des Campylobacters et des Hélicobacters (CNRCH) où y sont menées des analyses telles l’identification de l’espèce et de la résistance aux antibiotiques. Plusieurs méthodes sont mises en place pour étudier ces pathogènes : cultures bactériennes, antibiogrammes, spectromètre de masse MALDI-TOF et extraction d’ADN pour des PCR en temps réel. Malgré la rapidité et le moindre coût de ces méthodes, les utiliser en routine présente des désavantages notamment des identifications d’espèces parfois non concluantes avec le MALDI-TOF ou la difficulté de déterminer les mécanismes moléculaires de résistance. Aujourd’hui, le séquençage haut débit couplé à la bio-informatique permet de générer des données cruciales pour résoudre ces nombreuses problématiques rencontrées en laboratoire. C’est en vue de moderniser les analyses de cas cliniques français effectuées au CNRCH que différents outils et scripts bio-informatiques ont été mis en place mais aussi développés durant ce doctorat. Le principal objectif étant d’enrichir nos connaissances sur ces infections bactériennes : de mettre en évidence des variations dans les séquences d’ADN (gène et mutations) mais aussi protéiques impliquées dans diverses problématiques. Ainsi, il a pu être identifié durant ces trois années : des SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) dans le génome de Campylobacter coli spécifiques à trois différentes sources de contamination (la volaille, les bovins et les porcs), des nouveaux gènes de résistance aux antibiotiques qui émergent sur le territoire métropolitain mais aussi des nouvelles espèces du genre Helicobacter ou Campylobacter. Ces outils et données sont d’ores et déjà utilisés en routine au sein du CNRCH. Toutes ces analyses ont pu être possibles via l’utilisation de l’environnement Linux (progammation Bash et Python) permettant d’étudier des milliers de séquences d’ADN provenant d’une variété de souches séquencées au cours des différents projets. Cette «exploration génomique» fût ici la clé pour répondre aux différentes problématiques cliniques.Intestinal and gastric bacterial infections caused by Campylobacter and Helicobacter bacteria are frequent: Campylobacter species can lead to severe gastroenteritis cases through the consumption of contaminated products such as meat and Helicobacter bacteria may be responsible of ulcers or gastric cancers. More than 200,000 campylobacteriosis cases are reported in the European Union each year. It has also been shown that about 50% of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori. A large number of Campylobacter strains and gastric biopsies from clinical cases are received daily at the French National Reference Center for Campylobacters and Helicobacter (NRCCH) where analyses such as species identification and antimicrobial resistance determination are performed. Several methods are used to study these pathogens: bacterial cultures, antibiograms, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and DNA extraction for real-time PCR. Despite the fact these analyses are cheap and quick, it may also introduce some disadvantages: for example species identification using MALDI-TOF is sometimes non-significant and the determination of molecular resistance mecanisms among resistant isolates can also be challenging. Today, next-gen sequencing is a crucial tool to generate a large amount of data and, combined with bioinformatics, can solve numerous clinical problems encountered in the laboratory. In order to modernize the analysis of French clinical cases performed at the NRCCH, various bioinformatic tools and scripts were set up and developped during this PhD. The main objective was to enrich our knowledge on these bacterial infections by highlighting DNA and protein sequences variations involved in various problematics. Over these three years, we have then identify: SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) within the genome of Campylobacter coli that are able to discriminate three different sources of contamination (chickens, cattle and pigs), new antimicrobial resistance genes that have emerged in France in the past few years but also new Campylobacter and Helicobacter species. These differents data and tools are now routinely used in the NRCCH laboratory. All these analyses were made possible by the use of Linux environment and Bash or Python programming languages allowing the study of thousands of DNA sequences from a variety of clinical isolates that have been sequenced throughout many projects. This «genomic exploration» was here the key to answer the different clinical issues

Genomics applied to the study of campylobacter and helicobacter infections.

Les infections bactériennes intestinales et gastriques par les bactéries du genre Campylobacter et Helicobacter sont très fréquentes: l’une pouvant provoquer des gastro-entérites sévères des suites d’une contamination alimentaire (principalement la viande) et l’autre étant liée au développement d’ulcères ou bien de cancers gastriques. Plus de 200 000 cas de campylobacterioses sont recensés dans l’Union Européenne chaque année, avec comme principale espèce Campylobacter jejuni. De plus, environ 50% de la population mondiale est infectée par Helicobacter pylori. De très nombreuses souches de Campylobacter et de biopsies gastriques sont reçues quotidiennement au CNR des Campylobacters et des Hélicobacters (CNRCH) où y sont menées des analyses telles l’identification de l’espèce et de la résistance aux antibiotiques. Plusieurs méthodes sont mises en place pour étudier ces pathogènes : cultures bactériennes, antibiogrammes, spectromètre de masse MALDI-TOF et extraction d’ADN pour des PCR en temps réel. Malgré la rapidité et le moindre coût de ces méthodes, les utiliser en routine présente des désavantages notamment des identifications d’espèces parfois non concluantes avec le MALDI-TOF ou la difficulté de déterminer les mécanismes moléculaires de résistance. Aujourd’hui, le séquençage haut débit couplé à la bio-informatique permet de générer des données cruciales pour résoudre ces nombreuses problématiques rencontrées en laboratoire. C’est en vue de moderniser les analyses de cas cliniques français effectuées au CNRCH que différents outils et scripts bio-informatiques ont été mis en place mais aussi développés durant ce doctorat. Le principal objectif étant d’enrichir nos connaissances sur ces infections bactériennes : de mettre en évidence des variations dans les séquences d’ADN (gène et mutations) mais aussi protéiques impliquées dans diverses problématiques. Ainsi, il a pu être identifié durant ces trois années : des SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) dans le génome de Campylobacter coli spécifiques à trois différentes sources de contamination (la volaille, les bovins et les porcs), des nouveaux gènes de résistance aux antibiotiques qui émergent sur le territoire métropolitain mais aussi des nouvelles espèces du genre Helicobacter ou Campylobacter. Ces outils et données sont d’ores et déjà utilisés en routine au sein du CNRCH. Toutes ces analyses ont pu être possibles via l’utilisation de l’environnement Linux (progammation Bash et Python) permettant d’étudier des milliers de séquences d’ADN provenant d’une variété de souches séquencées au cours des différents projets. Cette «exploration génomique» fût ici la clé pour répondre aux différentes problématiques cliniques.Intestinal and gastric bacterial infections caused by Campylobacter and Helicobacter bacteria are frequent: Campylobacter species can lead to severe gastroenteritis cases through the consumption of contaminated products such as meat and Helicobacter bacteria may be responsible of ulcers or gastric cancers. More than 200,000 campylobacteriosis cases are reported in the European Union each year. It has also been shown that about 50% of the world population is infected with Helicobacter pylori. A large number of Campylobacter strains and gastric biopsies from clinical cases are received daily at the French National Reference Center for Campylobacters and Helicobacter (NRCCH) where analyses such as species identification and antimicrobial resistance determination are performed. Several methods are used to study these pathogens: bacterial cultures, antibiograms, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and DNA extraction for real-time PCR. Despite the fact these analyses are cheap and quick, it may also introduce some disadvantages: for example species identification using MALDI-TOF is sometimes non-significant and the determination of molecular resistance mecanisms among resistant isolates can also be challenging. Today, next-gen sequencing is a crucial tool to generate a large amount of data and, combined with bioinformatics, can solve numerous clinical problems encountered in the laboratory. In order to modernize the analysis of French clinical cases performed at the NRCCH, various bioinformatic tools and scripts were set up and developped during this PhD. The main objective was to enrich our knowledge on these bacterial infections by highlighting DNA and protein sequences variations involved in various problematics. Over these three years, we have then identify: SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) within the genome of Campylobacter coli that are able to discriminate three different sources of contamination (chickens, cattle and pigs), new antimicrobial resistance genes that have emerged in France in the past few years but also new Campylobacter and Helicobacter species. These differents data and tools are now routinely used in the NRCCH laboratory. All these analyses were made possible by the use of Linux environment and Bash or Python programming languages allowing the study of thousands of DNA sequences from a variety of clinical isolates that have been sequenced throughout many projects. This «genomic exploration» was here the key to answer the different clinical issues

Recurrent Campylobacter jejuni Infections with In Vivo Selection of Resistance to Macrolides and Carbapenems: Molecular Characterization of Resistance Determinants

ABSTRACT We present two independent cases of recurrent multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni infection in immunocompromised hosts and the clinical challenges encountered due to the development of high-level carbapenem resistance. The mechanisms associated with this unusual resistance for Campylobacters were characterized. Initial macrolide and carbapenem-susceptible strains acquired resistance to erythromycin (MIC > 256mg/L), ertapenem (MIC > 32mg/L), and meropenem (MIC > 32mg/L) during treatment. Carbapenem-resistant isolates developed an in-frame insertion resulting in an extra Asp residue in the major outer membrane protein PorA, within the extracellular loop L3 that connects β-strands 5 and 6 and forms a constriction zone involved in Ca2+ binding. The isolates presenting the highest MIC to ertapenem exhibited an extra nonsynonymous mutation (G167A|Gly56Asp) at PorA’s extracellular loop L1. IMPORTANCE Carbapenem susceptibility patterns suggest drug impermeability, related to either insertion and/or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within porA. Similar molecular events occurring in two independent cases support the association of these mechanisms with carbapenem resistance in Campylobacter spp