Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTN

Query: NC_005956:1402500 Bartonella henselae str. Houston-1, complete genome

Lineage: Bartonella henselae; Bartonella; Bartonellaceae; Rhizobiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: Bartonella henselae str. Houston-1 (ATCC 49882) was isolated from human blood in Houston Texas. Causative agent of cat scratch fever. This group of alpha proteobacteria are unique among pathogens in that they cause angiogenic lesions. This organism was identified as the causative agent of cat scratch fever, a disease found commonly in children or in immunocompromised adults. The proliferation of the vascular endothelium (bacillary angiomatosis) is characterisitic of Bartonella infection and results in multiplication of the bacterium's host cells. Infected macrophages are stimulated to release vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin 1 beta, both of which promote angiogenesis. Endothelial cells are also stimulated to grow and divide by direct contact with bacterial cells. In addition, programmed cell death (apoptosis) of endothelial cells is inhibited, combatting a common mechanism eukaryotic cells use to deal with bacterial infection. Other pathogenicity factors include pili and outer membrane adhesins for attachment to host cells.

Subject: NC_011184:325797 Vibrio fischeri MJ11 chromosome I, complete sequence

Lineage: Aliivibrio fischeri; Aliivibrio; Vibrionaceae; Vibrionales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This strain was isolated from a pinecone fish, Monocentris japonica, light-emitting organs in Japan. This genus is abundant in marine or freshwater environments such as estuaries, brackish ponds, or coastal areas; regions that provide an important reservoir for the organism in between outbreaks of the disease. Vibrio can affect shellfish, finfish, and other marine animals and a number of species are pathogenic for humans. This organism is found in marine environments and was originally named by Bernard Fischer during a sea voyage in the 1800s. It is a symbiont in fish and squids and is responsible for light generation in those organisms, which use it as a defense mechanism to avoid predators.