{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T15:40:18Z","timestamp":1792510818728,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791244800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Microbiol Spectr"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title\/>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Brucella melitensis<\/jats:italic>\n                      has a highly conserved genome, but the distribution of core-genome, gene-content, virulence-associated, mobile-element-associated, and antimicrobial-resistance-relevant variation among available sub-Saharan African genomes has not been examined in an integrated regional analysis. We analyzed 51 curated\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">B. melitensis<\/jats:italic>\n                      genomes from human and animal hosts using core-genome phylogenomics, pangenome reconstruction, virulence profiling, mobile genetic element (MGE) analysis, and mutation-based screening of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-associated loci. A phylogeny reconstructed from 6,060 shared SNP sites resolved a dominant ST12-associated lineage, together with ST7, ST8, ST42, and novel sequence type branches. Individual genomes differed from the reference by 1,677\u20132,579 SNPs. The pangenome comprised 3,457 gene families, including 3,049 persistent families, indicating strong genome conservation, and limited accessory expansion. Virulence profiling identified 66 VFDB-associated genes; 48 genomes carried all 66, and the remaining three retained more than 98% of the virulence repertoire. Conserved determinants included the VirB type IV secretion system, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, intracellular survival pathways, and stress-response functions. MGE-associated variation was restricted to a small number of regions dominated by transposases and insertion-sequence-associated proteins. A GspF-domain-containing secretion-associated locus was detected only in BM2, although no complete type II secretion system gene cluster was identified. Recurrent substitutions occurred in AMR-relevant chromosomal loci, including\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">rpoB<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">gyrA<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">gyrB<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">parC<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">parE<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">folA<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">folP<\/jats:italic>\n                      ,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">bepCDEFG,<\/jats:italic>\n                      and\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">mprF<\/jats:italic>\n                      , but none corresponded to validated resistance-conferring alleles. The available regional genomes therefore comprise multiple phylogenetic lineages within a strongly conserved gene and intracellular virulence framework, with diversity concentrated in core-genome SNPs and localized genomic regions.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>IMPORTANCE<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Brucella melitensis<\/jats:italic>\n                      is a major zoonotic pathogen at the livestock-human interface, but genome-resolved evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study curates available regional genomes and shows that the population is dominated by a conserved intracellular virulence backbone, strong core-genome conservation, and focal genomic diversification rather than by extensive accessory-genome expansion. By integrating phylogenomics, pangenome analysis, virulence profiling, mobile-element characterization, and mutation screening of antimicrobial-resistance-associated loci, the work provides a regional framework for One Health genomic surveillance and identifies candidate loci requiring phenotype-linked validation.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.01703-26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T13:04:04Z","timestamp":1787144644000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Conserved intracellular virulence architecture and focal genomic diversification in sub-Saharan African\n                    <i>Brucella melitensis<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-2117-9520","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Samweli Y.","family":"Bahati","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Omics & Computational Biology, AfroBiomics Co. Ltd.","place":["Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01wcz2f33","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences","place":["Ifakara, Tanzania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eliezer Brown","family":"Mwakalapa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/055326464","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Natural Sciences, Mbeya University of Science and Technology","place":["Mbeya, Tanzania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henry G.","family":"Mung'ong'o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/009nnap37","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA)","place":["Arusha, Tanzania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdalah","family":"Makaranga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Omics & Computational Biology, AfroBiomics Co. Ltd.","place":["Dar es Salaam, Tanzania"]},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/05p03kd02","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Department of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Mwenge Catholic University (MWECAU)","place":["Moshi, Tanzania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benson","family":"Kidenya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences","place":["Mwanza, Tanzania"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2453-5993","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Reuben S.","family":"Maghembe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Omics & Computational Biology, AfroBiomics Co. 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World Health Organization. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/brucellosis."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2015.10.023"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0175425"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9110942"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2015.00072"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.02647-24"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Bahati SY Makaranga A Mwakalapa EB Mung\u2019ong\u2019o HG Thomas C Kalolo A Maghembe RS. 2026. A systematic review of whole genome sequencing evidence on zoonotic Brucella melitensis in Africa revealing lineage structure phylogenomic clusters antimicrobial resistance and genomic determinants. 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