Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a periodontal pathogen associated with periodontitis. This species exhibits substantial variations in gene content among different isolates and has different virulence potentials. This study examined the distribution of genomic islands and their insert sites among genetically diverse A. actinomycetemcomitans strains by comparative genomic analysis. The results showed that some islands, presumably more ancient, were found across all genetic clades of A. actinomycetemcomitans. In contrast, other islands were specific to individual clades or a subset of clades and may have been acquired more recently. The islands for the biogenesis of serotype-specific antigens comprise distinct genes located in different loci for serotype a and serotype b-f strains. Islands that encode the same cytolethal distending toxins appear to have been acquired via distinct mechanisms in different loci for clade b/c and for clade a/d/e/f strains. The functions of numerous other islands remain to be elucidated. JP2 strains represent a small branch within clade b, one of the five major genetic clades of A. actinomycetemcomitans. In conclusion, the complex process of genomic island acquisition, deletion, and modification is a significant force in the genetic divergence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. Assessing the genetic distinctions between JP2 and non-JP2 strains must consider the landscape of genetic variations shaped by evolution.
Keywords: A. actinomycetemcomitans; genomic islands; microbial evolution; virulence genes.