Table 2.

Comparative genetic studies including B. melitensis and B. ovis.

Strains	Methods	B. ovis genome with respect to B. melitensis.	References
B. ovis REO198; B. melitensis 16M	Whole-genome hybridization	It lacks 80 ORFs distributed in GIs 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9.	(75)
B. ovis ATCC25840; B. melitensis 16M	Sequencing of B. ovis genome and comparison with reference genomes	Evidences of genome degradation. It contains 264 unique and 539 missing genes.	(43)
B. melitensis 16M and ATCC 23457; B. ovis ATCC25840	Identification of TCS coding genes in available genomes	There are four inactivated TCS genes (prlS, tceS, moaR and stcA)	(77)
B. melitensis 16M, 63/9 and Ether; B. ovis 63/290	DNA microarray	B. ovis lacks GIs 1, 2, 6, 11, 13 (B. melitensis lacks GI 14; and BME_bv1 also lacks GI15)	(76)