AUTHOR=Fernandes Gabriel R. , Barbosa Aulus E. A. D. , Almeida Renan N. , Castro Fabíola F. dos S. , da Ponte Marina de C. P. , Faria-Junior Celio , Müller Fernanda M. P. , Viana Antônio A. B. , Grattapaglia Dario , Franco Octavio L. , Alencar Sérgio A. , Dias Simoni C. 

TITLE=Genomic Comparison among Lethal Invasive Strains of Streptococcus pyogenes Serotype M1

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01993

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2017.01993

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Streptococcus pyogenes</italic>, also known as group A <italic>Streptococcus</italic> (GAS), is a human pathogen that causes diverse human diseases including streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). A GAS outbreak occurred in Brasilia, Brazil, during the second half of the year 2011, causing 26 deaths. Whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina platform. The sequences were assembled and genes were predicted for comparative analysis with <italic>emm</italic> type 1 strains: MGAS5005 and M1 GAS. Genomics comparison revealed one of the invasive strains that differ from others isolates and from <italic>emm</italic> 1 reference genomes. Also, the new invasive strain showed differences in the content of virulence factors compared to other isolated in the same outbreak. The evolution of contemporary GAS strains is strongly associated with horizontal gene transfer. This is the first genomic study of a <italic>Streptococcal emm 1</italic> outbreak in Brazil, and revealed the rapid bacterial evolution leading to new clones. The emergence of new invasive strains can be a consequence of the injudicious use of antibiotics in Brazil during the past decades.</p>