Whole genome sequencing and de novo assembly of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius : a pangenome approach to unravel pathogenesis of canine pyoderma

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is the main causal pathogen of pyoderma on dogs, and a common inhabitant of their healthy skin. We aim to shed light into the mechanisms underlying its pathogenic transformation using whole-genome sequencing with Oxford Nanopore sequencing. We de novo assembled a total of 61 S. pseudintermedius genomes. Their mean size differed among healthy (2.58 Mb) and pyoderma (2.74 Mb) isolates. Moreover, the genome of S. pseudintermedius is an example of an open pangenome: 45% core genome, 55% accessory genome. The accessory is larger in the pathogenic strains, and comprised antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, and prophages, among others.