Pathway Complements of Four Yersinia

Pathway-genome databases were constructed for three Yersinia pestis strains and a single Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain in order to compare their predicted metabolic pathways. Y. pestis, the causative agent of bubonic plague, is 100% host-associated while Y. pseudotuberculosis is a free-living aquatic organism which is believed to be ancestral to Y. pestis. A total of 326 pathways were identified between the four Yersinia strains, with each strain containing 269-294 pathways. Intra-speciflc and inter-specific differences in predicted metabolic capabilities are reported here, and efforts to curate the databases continue.