Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTN

Query: NC_010673:479552 Borrelia hermsii DAH, complete genome

Lineage: Borrelia hermsii; Borrelia; Spirochaetaceae; Spirochaetales; Spirochaetes; Bacteria

General Information: This strain was isolated from a case of relapsing fever in western Washington, USA. Borrelia hermsii is the causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in the western United States and Canada. Borrelia then multiplies rapidly, causing a generalized infection throughout the tick. While feeding, the tick passes the organism into a mammalian host through its infectious saliva. Relapsing fever is characterized by a period of chills, fever, headache, and malaise, an asymptomatic period, followed by another episode of symptoms. This cycle of relapsing is due to changes in the surface proteins of Borrelia, which allow it to avoid detection and removal by the host immune system. This antigenic variation is the result of homologous recombination of silent proteins into an expressed locus, causing partial or complete replacement of one serotype with another. These plasmids carry genes involved in antigenic variation and pathogenicity.

Subject: NC_011059:2233993 Prosthecochloris aestuarii DSM 271, complete genome

Lineage: Prosthecochloris aestuarii; Prosthecochloris; Chlorobiaceae; Chlorobiales; Chlorobi; Bacteria

General Information: This species is a green sulfur bacterium which forms sedimentary biofilm layers. It has been shown to be associated with coral killed by Black-Band Disease (BBD) a microbial infection of larger coral species. This is a concern for reef conservationists as the larger species are responsible for coral scaffolds, and their reduction by disease would have considerable impact on the reef structure. While there is currently no cause-and-effect link between Prosthecochloris aestuarii and BBD, the species was found on coral which was killed by the disease and was not found on healthy coral or in the surrounding seawater.