Proceedings of the 10th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis

#160
Hidden gems in <strong>the</strong> Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis genome
John P Bannantine 1 , Adel M Talaat 2 , Michael L Paustian 1 , Srinand Sreevatsan 3
2 National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, Iowa, USA; University <strong>of</strong> Wisconsin, USA;
University <strong>of</strong> Minnesota, USA
If 4,350 genes annotated in <strong>the</strong> M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis strain K-10 genome wasn’t already enough
to study, more genes have recently been uncovered, hidden deep within this genome sequence. Genomic and
proteomic studies, both published and unpublished, have revealed a handful <strong>of</strong> new genes missed by annotation
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> K-10 genome. BLAST searches <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> intergenic regions present in <strong>the</strong> annotation shows several
new genes. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, an automated annotation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> K-10 genome by <strong>the</strong> Venter Institute (JCVI) has
revealed an additional 188 genes. Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> genes missed in <strong>the</strong> original annotation are located between two
annotated genes (intergenic region) while a few o<strong>the</strong>rs are ei<strong>the</strong>r discovered as part <strong>of</strong> a misalignment or exist
on <strong>the</strong> opposite DNA coding strand. A catalog <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se genes will be presented with a focus on three selected
genes <strong>of</strong> special interest in diagnostics and pathogenesis. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se encodes a protein that is detected by a
monoclonal antibody that uniquely binds to M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis.
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