Query: NC_010263:278463 Rickettsia rickettsii str. Iowa, complete genome Lineage: Rickettsia rickettsii; Rickettsia; Rickettsiaceae; Rickettsiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: Causative agent for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This organism was first identified by Dr. Howard Rickets as the causative agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which was originally named for its geographic distribution at the time, it is now known to be widespread throughout the North American continent. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen that infects primarily the vascular endothelium, and occasionally smooth muscle tissue. It is passed to the human host from a tick bite, and the tick acts as both a natural reservoir and a vector for disease transmission. Once the organism is endocytosed by the host cell, it quickly escapes the phagozome, and replicates intracellularly, causing cell death and tissue damage. The disease is characterized by a spotted rash and has a high mortality rate if left untreated.
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General Information: This strain is a derivative strain isolated in the laboratory of Barry Marrs from the classical progenitor strain B10. It is rifampicin-resistant, produces GTA, and is capable of growing under high illumination (resistant to photooxidative killing). Bacteria belonging to the Rhodobacter group are metabolically versatile as they are able to use photosynthesis and usually can grow under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. This organism is a facultatively phototrophic purple non-sulfur bacterium and the type species of the Rhodobacter group. The colony's color depends largely on the amount of oxygen present in its environment. While it is able to produce cellular energy in a number of different ways, it can rely on anoxygenic photosynthesis under anaerobic conditions in the presence of light. Some strains produce the Gene Transfer Element (GTA), a pro-phage particle capable of transferring genetic material between strains.