Whole genome PCR scanning (WGPS) of Coxiella burnetii strains from ruminants

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever, a zoonosis that spreads from ruminants to humans via the inhalation of aerosols contaminated by livestock's birth products. This study aimed to compare the genomes of strains isolated from ruminants by “Whole Genome PCR Scanning (WGPS)” in order to identify genomic differences. C. burnetii isolated from different ruminant hosts were compared to the Nine Mile reference strain using WGPS. The identified genomic regions of differences (RDs) were confirmed by sequencing. A set of 219 primers for amplification of 10 kbp segments covering the entire genome was obtained. The analyses revealed the presence of: i) conserved genomic regions, ii) genomic polymorphism including insertions and deletions and iii) amplification failures in some cases as well. WGPS, a descriptive approach, allowed the identification and localization of divergent genetic loci from various strains of C. burnetii which consisted of deletions, insertions and maybe genomic rearrangements. It also substantiates the role played by the IS1111 element in the genomic plasticity of C. burnetii. We believe that this approach could be combined with new sequencing technologies, as a selective/directed sequencing approach, particularly when repeated sequences are present in the analysed genomes.