Analysis of the Rickettsia africae genome reveals that virulence acquisition in Rickettsia species may be explained by genome reduction

Table 1 General features of Rickettsia genomes.

Species (strains)	Genome size (bp)	G+C content (%)	Protein-coding genes	RNAs	References
Spotted fever group
R. africae (ESF-5)	1,290,917	32.4	1,123	39	Present study
Chromosome	1,278,540	32.4	1,112	39
Plasmid pRA	12,377	33.4	11	0
R. akari (Hartford)	1,23106	32.3	1,259	35	*
R. conorii (Malish 7)	1,268,755	32.4	1,374	39	[23]
R. felis (URRWXCal2)	1,587,240	32.5	1,512	39	[28]
Chromosome	1,485,148	32.5	1,444	39
Plasmid pRF	62,829	33.6	68	0
Plasmid pRFδ	39,268	33.2	44	0
R. massiliae (Mtu5)	1,376,184	32.5	1,192	39	[29]
Chromosome	1,360,898	32.5	1,180	39
Plasmid pRMA	15,286	31.4	12	0
R. rickettsii (Sheila Smith)	1,257,710	32.5	1,345	36	*
R. rickettsii (Iowa)	1,268,175	32.4	1,384	37	[25]
R. sibirica (246)	1,250,021	32.5	1,083	36	*
Typhus group
R. prowazekii (Madrid E)	1,111,523	29.0	834	39	[58]
R. typhi (Wilmington)	1,111,496	28.9	838	39	[26]
Third group
R. bellii (RML369-C)	1,522,076	31.7	1,429	40	[15]
R. bellii (OSU 85–389)	1,528,980	31.6	1,476	36	*
R. canadensis (McKiel)	1,159,772	31.1	1,093	36	*

* Unpublished genomes available in GenBank: R. akari (Hartford) [GenBank: NC_009881],R. rickettsii (Sheila Smith) [GenBank: NC_009882], R. sibirica (246) [GenBank: NZ_AABW00000000], R. bellii (OSU 85–389) [GenBank: NC_009883], and R. canadensis (McKiel) [GenBank: NC_009879].

ISSN: 1471-2164