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The Evolutionary Genomics of Host Specificity in Staphylococcus aureus.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Murray, Gemma GR 
Harrison, Ewan M 
Holmes, Mark A 
Weinert, Lucy A 

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human bacterial pathogen that has a cosmopolitan host range, including livestock, companion and wild animal species. Genomic and epidemiological studies show that S. aureus has jumped between host species many times over its evolutionary history. These jumps have involved the dynamic gain and loss of host-specific adaptive genes, usually located on mobile genetic elements. The same functional elements are often consistently gained in jumps into a particular species. Further sampling of diverse animal species is likely to uncover an even broader host range and greater genetic diversity of S. aureus than is already known, and understanding S. aureus host specificity in these hosts will mitigate the risks of emergent human and livestock strains.

Description

Keywords

bacteria, emerging infectious diseases, host adaptation, host switch, mobile genetic element, whole-genome sequencing, Animals, Bacteria, Evolution, Molecular, Genomics, Host Adaptation, Host Specificity, Humans, Interspersed Repetitive Sequences, Livestock, Staphylococcal Infections, Staphylococcus aureus, Whole Genome Sequencing

Journal Title

Trends Microbiol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0966-842X
1878-4380

Volume Title

28

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (109385/Z/15/Z)
Medical Research Council (MR/N002660/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/P007201/1)
Medical Research Council (1933099)