Query: NC_011035:566980 Neisseria gonorrhoeae NCCP11945 chromosome, complete genome
Lineage: Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Neisseria; Neisseriaceae; Neisseriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Neisseria gonorrhoeae NCCP11945 was isolated in 2002 from a vaginal smear of a Korean patient. This is a multidrug-resistant strain. One of two pathogenic Neisseria, this species causes the sexually transmitted disease (STD) gonorrhea, which is the leading reportable STD in adults in the USA. This human-specific organism colonizes and invades the mucosal surface of the urogenital epithelium, crosses the epithelial barrier, and ends up multiplying on the basement membrane. Pathogenic functions include the antigenically variable type IV pilus and the opacity (Opa) proteins. The Opa proteins are responsible for the opaque colony phenotype due to the tight junctions between adjacent Neisseria, and are also responsible for tight adherence to host cells. This organism, like Neisseria meningitidis, is also naturally competent for DNA uptake.
Subject: NC_010498:2847359 Escherichia coli SMS-3-5, complete genome
Lineage: Escherichia coli; Escherichia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Escherichia coli SMS-3-5 was isolated from a toxic-metal contaminated site, Shipyard Creek, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. This strain is highly resistant to a number of antibiotics. This organism was named for its discoverer, Theodore Escherich, and is one of the premier model organisms used in the study of bacterial genetics, physiology, and biochemistry. This enteric organism is typically present in the lower intestine of humans, where it is the dominant facultative anaerobe present, but it is only one minor constituent of the complete intestinal microflora. E. coli, is capable of causing various diseases in its host, especially when they acquire virulence traits. E. coli can cause urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis, and many different intestinal diseases, usually by attaching to the host cell and introducing toxins that disrupt normal cellular processes.