Molecular Pathogens 2024, Vol.15, No.2, 72-82 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mp 77 suggest unique pathogenic mechanisms and the necessity for tailored preventive strategies (Byadgi et al., 2022). Similarly, the genome of Aeromonas hydrophila HX-3 was sequenced, identifying 4483 genes, including those involved in quorum sensing and virulence, which are crucial for understanding its pathogenicity (Jin et al., 2020). 5.2 Identification of virulence genes The identification of virulence genes is critical for understanding the pathogenicity of kelp pathogens. Comparative genomics has been instrumental in this regard. For example, the analysis of Vibrio anguillarum strains revealed that highly virulent strains possess unique accessory genomes containing pathogenic genomic islands, prophage-like elements, and virulence factors, which are absent in less virulent strains (Castillo et al., 2017). In comparative genomic analyses of multiple Vibrio anguillarumstrains, it was found that the virulence of V. anguillarum is multifactorial and associated with the acquisition of mobile genetic elements (Figure 3). Additionally, the virulence factors of Flavobacterium columnare were identified through comparative genomics, highlighting genes involved in tissue colonization and interbacterial competition, which are unique to virulent isolates (Declercq et al., 2021). Tools like PathoFact have also been developed to predict virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance genes in metagenomic data, providing a comprehensive approach to identifying these critical genes (Nies et al., 2021). Figure 3 The pan-genome of V. anguillarum. The flower plots represent the number of shared (core) and specific (accessory/dispensable) genes based on cluster orthologs for each chromosome. Petals display numbers of strain-specific genes found in each genome of V. anguillarumstrains with core gene numbers in the center. The gray colors indicate the virulence category as found in three fish larva model systems (Adopted from Castillo et al., 2017) Figure from Castillo et al. (2017) displays the core and accessory genome composition of Vibrio anguillarum strains. The flower diagram shows core genes shared by all strains in the center, while the petals represent strain-specific accessory genes. This visualization illustrates the genetic diversity within V. anguillarum, with highly virulent strains exhibiting more unique genes. This comprehensive genomic view aids in understanding the roles of accessory genes in pathogenicity and adaptability.
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