Comparative genome analysis of Weissella ceti an emerging pathogen of farm-raised rainbow trout

摘要

BackgroundThe genus Weissella belongs to the lactic acid bacteria and includes 18 currently identified species, predominantly isolated from fermented food but rarely from cases of bacteremia in animals. Recently, a new species, designated Weissella ceti, has been correlated with hemorrhagic illness in farm-raised rainbow trout in China, Brazil, and the USA, with high transmission and mortality rates during outbreaks. Although W. ceti is an important emerging veterinary pathogen, little is known about its genomic features or virulence mechanisms. To better understand these and to characterize the species, we have previously sequenced the genomes of W. ceti strains WS08, WS74, and WS105, isolated from different rainbow trout farms in Brazil and displaying different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the three previously sequenced genomes of W. ceti strains from Brazil along with W. ceti NC36 from the USA and those of other Weissella species.