Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTN

Query: NC_008513:343540 Buchnera aphidicola str. Cc (Cinara cedri), complete genome

Lineage: Buchnera aphidicola; Buchnera; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This strain is found in the cedar aphid, Cinara cedri. Aphid endosymbiont. Almost all aphids contain maternally transmitted bacteriocyte cells, which themselves contain bacteria called Buchnera. The aphids live on a restricted diet (plant sap), rich in carbohydrates, but poor in nitrogenous or other essential compounds. It is believed that the Buchnera provide the essential nutrients the host lacks. Besides a nutritional co-dependence, due to a co-existence of millions of years, Buchnera have lost the ability to produce cell surface components such as lipopolysaccharides. This makes for an obligate endosymbiont relationship between host and Buchnera. Buchnera are prokaryotic cells which belong to the gamma-Proteobacteria, closely related to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Phylogenetic studies using 16S rRNA indicate that the symbiotic relationship was established around 200-250 million years ago. Since Buchnera are closely related to Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae, comparative genomic studies can shed light on the evolutionary mechanisms of intracellular endosymbiosis as well as the different underlying molecular basis between organisms with parasitic behavior and symbionts.

Subject: NC_014932:1232346 Bartonella clarridgeiae 73, complete genome

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

General Information: Bartonella clarridgeiae was first identified from a case of cat scratch fever in a veterinarian who had been bitten by a cat. This organism has subsequently been identified in both cats and dogs. Cats, which are infected by fleas carrying the bacteria, in turn infect humans when scratching or biting them, hence the name. A small red bump forms at the site of infection, followed 2-3 weeks later by a painful swelling of the lymph node. In immunocompromized patients, more severe progress may be observed, including encephalitis, swelling of the spleen, and heart valve infection. Approximately 24 000 cases are reported in the US each year.