Pathogenicity and Its Implications in Taxonomy: The Brucella and Ochrobactrum Case

Moreno, E. ; Blasco, J. M. ; Letesson, J. J. ; Gorvel, J. P. ; Moriyón, I.

Resumen: The intracellular pathogens of the genus Brucella are phylogenetically close to Ochrobac-trum, a diverse group of free-living bacteria with a few species occasionally infecting medically compromised patients. A group of taxonomists recently included all Ochrobactrum organisms in the genus Brucella based on global genome analyses and alleged equivalences with genera such as Mycobacterium. Here, we demonstrate that such equivalencies are incorrect because they overlook the complexities of pathogenicity. By summarizing Brucella and Ochrobactrum divergences in lifestyle, structure, physiology, population, closed versus open pangenomes, genomic traits, and pathogenicity, we show that when they are adequately understood, they are highly relevant in taxonomy and not unidimensional quantitative characters. Thus, the Ochrobactrum and Brucella differences are not limited to their assignments to different “risk-groups”, a biologically (and hence, taxonomically) oversimplified description that, moreover, does not support ignoring the nomen periculosum rule, as proposed. Since the epidemiology, prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment are thoroughly unrelated, merging free-living Ochrobactrum organisms with highly pathogenic Brucella organisms brings evi-dent risks for veterinarians, medical doctors, and public health authorities who confront brucellosis, a significant zoonosis worldwide. Therefore, from taxonomical and practical standpoints, the Brucella and Ochrobactrum genera must be maintained apart. Consequently, we urge researchers, culture collections, and databases to keep their canonical nomenclature. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11030377

Año: 2022

Publicado en: Pathogens 11, 3 (2022), 377 - [18 pp]
ISSN: 2076-0817

Factor impacto JCR: 3.7 (2022)

Categ. JCR: MICROBIOLOGY rank: 62 / 135 = 0.459 (2022) - Q2 - T2

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 5.1 - Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (Q2) - Immunology and Microbiology (Q2) - Medicine (Q2)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.807 - Immunology and Allergy (Q2) - Immunology and Microbiology (miscellaneous) (Q2) - Molecular Biology (Q2) - Microbiology (medical) (Q2) - Infectious Diseases (Q2)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/A13-17R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/PID2019-107601RA-C32

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)