We have sequenced, assembled and annotated the genome of Clostridium sordellii strain W3026. Paraclostridium sordellii strain:W3026

Clostridium sordellii is an anaerobic bacterium associated with rare but severe infections of man and animals. Human infections are associated with trauma, toxic shock and often-fatal gynaecological infections. Some strains are known to produce the large clostridial cytotoxins TcsH and TcsLH, relatives of the cytotoxins found in C. difficile, C. novyi and C. perfringens. We have undertaken a genomic analysis of a collection of C. sordellii strains derived from cases of clinical or veterinary disease. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a highly genetically diverse species. The majority of strains do not encode tcsL or tcsH, but all strains encode the putative virulence factors sordellilysin, phospholipase C and neuraminidase. Where tcsL or tcsH are present, these are localised on a plasmid. Large scale sequencing on this neglected pathogen has to date been limited, these genomes will facilitate further research on this important pathogen.

索氏梭菌（Clostridium sordellii）是一类与人类和动物罕见但重症感染相关的厌氧菌。人类感染常与创伤、中毒性休克以及致死性妇科感染相关。部分菌株可产生大型梭菌细胞毒素TcsH与TcsLH，这类毒素与艰难梭菌（C. difficile）、诺维氏梭菌（C. novyi）及产气荚膜梭菌（C. perfringens）中的细胞毒素为同源物。本研究对一批源自临床或兽医病例的索氏梭菌菌株开展了基因组分析。系统发育分析显示该物种具有高度的遗传多样性。多数菌株不携带tcsL或tcsH基因，但所有菌株均编码推定的毒力因子：索氏溶血素（sordellilysin）、磷脂酶C（phospholipase C）与神经氨酸酶。当菌株携带tcsL或tcsH基因时，这些基因定位于质粒之上。目前针对这一被忽视的病原体的大规模测序工作仍较为有限，本研究获得的基因组将推动该重要病原体的后续研究。