Genomic Insights into Campylobacter jejuni Virulence and Population Genetics

Abstract

<p><em>Campylobacter jejuni</em> has long been recognized as a main food-borne pathogen in many parts of the world. Natural reservoirs include a wide variety of domestic and wild birds and mammals, whose intestines offer a suitable biological niche for the survival and dissemination of the organism. Understanding the genetic basis of the biology and pathogenicity of <em>C. jejuni</em> is vital to prevent and control <em>Campylobacter</em>-associated infections. The recent progress in sequencing techniques has allowed for a rapid increase in our knowledge of the molecular biology and the genetic structures of <em>Campylobacter</em>. Single-molecule realtime (SMRT) sequencing, which goes beyond four-base sequencing, revealed the role of DNA methylation in modulating the biology and virulence of<em> C. jejuni</em> at the level of epigenetics. In this review, we will provide an up-to-date review on recent advances in understanding <em>C. jejuni</em> genomics, including structural features of genomes, genetic traits of virulence, population genetics, and epigenetics.</p>