Shigella flexneri 1c strain:SFL1613 Raw sequence reads

Shigella species cause bacillary dysentery – a severe form of diarrhoea, characterized by acute colonic and rectal mucosal inflammation leading to fever, abdominal cramps and bloody mucoid stools. Out of four species of Shigella, S. flexneri is the most prevalent enteric pathogen in developing countries. Shigella is transmitted through faecal-oral route and can cause gastrointestinal infection via an exceptionally low infectious dose (as many as 10 bacteria). S. flexneri is classified into different serotypes based on the O-antigen structure of its lipopolysaccharide. The serotype conversion is mediated by bacteriophages and plasmids carrying genes that modify the O-antigen. The S. flexneri serotype 1c is a novel serotype, which has now been found to be prevalent in many developing countries. However, little is known about its virulence signatures and evolution. Here, we provide the unique features of this serotype through the whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics tools. We also identified it as a highly adaptive pathogen with unique O-antigen modification possibly mediated by three different bacteriophages during its evolution. Furthermore, this serotype possesses several hypothetical genes and putative bacteriophage regions that will guide future investigation to identify novel genes involved in pathogen's virulence and its survival in the host environment.