Query: NC_008570:2216736 Aeromonas hydrophila subsp. hydrophila ATCC 7966, complete genome
Lineage: Aeromonas hydrophila; Aeromonas; Aeromonadaceae; Aeromonadales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Isolated from canned milk from the USA. Aquatic organism that can cause foodborne illnesses in humans. This organism is an enviromental bacterium that is often found in aquatic habitats, but can also be found contaminating food products. It causes a variety of diseases in both cold-blooded and warm-blooded organisms. The bacterium is becoming a problematic pathogen in humans, where it causes gastroenteritis and septicemia, mainly due to the development of antibiotic resistance by this organism. One of the major virulence factors is aerolysin, a toxin that is produced and secreted by the cell via a type II secretion apparatus. Other virulence functions include a surface layer which inhibits complement-mediated killing, type IV pili for attachment, and a set of extracellular proteases which can cause tissue damage.
Subject: NC_012560:2348202 Azotobacter vinelandii DJ, complete genome
Lineage: Azotobacter vinelandii; Azotobacter; Pseudomonadaceae; Pseudomonadales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This organism was first isolated from the soil in Vineland, New Jersey, although it is found worldwide. It is a large obligate aerobe that has one of the highest respiratory rates of any organism. Azotobacter vinelandii also produces a number of unusual nitrogenases which allow it to fix atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, a compound it can then use as a nitrogen source. It protects the oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase enzymes through its high respiratory rate, which sequesters the nitrogenase complexes in an anoxic environment. This organism has a number of unusual characteristics. Under extreme environmental conditions, the cell will produce a cyst that is resistant to dessication and is surrounded by two capsular polysaccharide layers. This organism produces two industrially important polysaccharides, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and alginate. PHB is a thermoplastic biopolymer, and alginate is used in the food industry. Alginate is also used by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to infect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.