Query: NC_012471:141463 Streptococcus equi subsp. equi 4047, complete genome
Lineage: Streptococcus equi; Streptococcus; Streptococcaceae; Lactobacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: Streptococcus equi equi is an obligate parasitic bacterium and is the causative agent of a serious upper respiratory tract disease within members of the family Equidae (horses), called strangles. Strangles is a highly contagious disease of the nasopharynx and lymph nodes. The genome sequence of this organism will provide information into the production and regulation of virulence factors involved in this disease. Pathogenic in horses, goats and sheep. Streptococci are Gram-positive, nonmotile, nonsporeforming, catalase-negative cocci that occur in pairs or chains. Members of this genus vary widely in pathogenic potential. Most streptococci are facultative anaerobes, and some are obligate anaerobes.
Subject: NC_000964:4116104 Bacillus subtilis subsp. subtilis str. 168, complete genome
Lineage: Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus; Bacillaceae; Bacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: This strain was derived in 1947 from an X-ray irradiated strain, Marburg. This organism was one of the first bacteria studied, and was named Vibrio subtilis in 1835 and renamed Bacillus subtilis in 1872. It is one of the most well characterized bacterial organisms, and is a model system for cell differentiation and development. This soil bacterium can divide asymmetrically, producing an endospore that is resistant to environmental factors such as heat, acid, and salt, and which can persist in the environment for long periods of time. The endospore is formed at times of nutritional stress, allowing the organism to persist in the environment until conditions become favorable. Prior to the decision to produce the spore the bacterium might become motile, through the production of flagella, and also take up DNA from the environment through the competence system.The sporulation process is complex and involves the coordinated regulation of hundreds of genes in the genome. This initial step results in the coordinated asymmetric cellular division and endospore formation through multiple stages that produces a single spore from the mother cell.