Genome Sequencing of Yersinia pestis KIM D27
Author Information
Author(s): Liliana Losada, John J. Varga, Jessica Hostetler, Diana Radune, Maria Kim, Scott Durkin, Olaf Schneewind, William C. Nierman
Primary Institution: J. Craig Venter Institute
Hypothesis
What are the genomic differences between the avirulent Yersinia pestis KIM D27 strain and its virulent parent strain KIM 10+?
Conclusion
The study concluded that both 454 and Illumina sequencing were necessary to obtain the most accurate genome sequence results for Y. pestis KIM D27.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified 56 validated SNP/INDELs and 5 repeat differences in the KIM D27 strain.
- Most of the differences found were errors in the KIM 10+ reference genome.
- Hybrid sequencing methods provided the most accurate results for genome comparison.
Takeaway
Scientists sequenced the DNA of a less harmful version of the plague bacteria to see how it differs from the more dangerous version, finding that many of the differences were actually mistakes in the reference DNA they were comparing it to.
Methodology
The study used both 454 and Illumina sequencing technologies to analyze the genome of Y. pestis KIM D27.
Potential Biases
There may be biases introduced by the sequencing technologies used, particularly with the 454 platform.
Limitations
The study's findings are limited by the potential errors in the reference genome used for comparison.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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