Brucella sp. B13-0095 Genome sequencing and assembly. Brucella sp. B13-0095

This isolate (B13-0095) was isolated from a Pac-Man frog (Ceratophyrs ornate) in a Veterinary Hospital in Texas. It was found that B13-0095 belongs to a group of early-diverging brucellae with traits that depart significantly from those of the ‘classical’ Brucella spp. and that includes B. inopinata strain BO1 (human breast implant infection) and the B. inopinata-like strain BO2 (chronic pneumonia in human). Analysis of B13-0095 whole genome sequence revealed several specific features that suggest that this isolate may represent a missing evolutionary link between a soil associated ancestor and the host adapted ‘classical’ species. These include the ability to use the osmoprotective molecule ectoine or the plant-derived compound rhamnose as a carbon source. It was also found that, like strain BO2, B13-0095 does not produce the typical, perosamine based, LPS that is considered as an essential virulence factor in Brucella. Despite this, B13-0095 has a very fast intracellular replication rate in both epithelial cells and macrophages. Finally, another major finding in this study is the bacterial motility observed for strains B13-0095, BO1 and BO2, which is remarkable for this genus.