Title: Comparative genome and methylome analysis reveals restriction/modification system diversity in the gut commensal Bifidobacterium breve
| Authors: | Francesca Bottacini, Ruth Morrissey, Richard John Roberts, Kieran James, Justin van Breen, Muireann Egan, Jolanda Lambert, Kees van Limpt, Jan Knol, Mary O’Connell Motherway, Douwe van Sinderen |
| Published: | December 27, 2017 |
| Journal: | Nucleic Acids Research |
Bifidobacteria are among the first colonizers of the newborn gut in healthy breast fed infants. Bifidobacterium breve (next to B. longum and B. bifidum) is abundantly present in the gut microbiota of healthy infants, and has been subject of genetic studies with the aim to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying its beneficial activity.
In this study whole genome sequencing, employing the PacBio Single Molecule, Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing platform, combined with comparative genome analysis allowed the most extensive genetic investigation of the bifidobacteria.
The findings demonstrate that genes encoding Restriction/Modification (R/M) systems constitute a substantial part of the B. breve variable gene content (or variome). It is also shown that R/M systems typically impose a very significant barrier to genetic accessibility of B. breve strains, and that cloning of a methyltransferase-encoding gene may overcome such a barrier, thus allowing future functional investigations of members of this species.
The information generated will ultimately result in an improved understanding of the genetics and health-promoting potential of members of Bifidobacterium breve.
For more details about the study, please read the full text of the paper.