The Pangenome of Escherichia coli

Thousands of complete genome sequences for strains of a species that are now available enable the advancement of pangenome analytics to a new level of sophistication. We collected 2,377 publicly-available complete genomes of Escherichia coli for detailed pangenome analysis. The core genome and accessory genomes consisted of 2,398 and 5,182 genes, respectively. We developed a machine learning approach to define the accessory genes characterizing the major phylogroups of E. coli plus Shigella: A, B1, B2, C, D, E, F, G, and Shigella. The analysis resulted in a detailed structure of the genetic basis of the phylogroups’ differential traits. This pangenome structure was largely consistent with a housekeeping-gene-based MLST distribution, sequence-based Mash distance, and the Clermont quadruplex classification. The rare genome consisted of 163,619 genes, about 79% of which represented variations of 315 underlying transposon elements. This analysis generated a mathematical definition of the genetic basis for a species.