Query: NC_014654:2101500 Halanaerobium sp. 'sapolanicus' chromosome, complete genome Lineage: Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans; Halanaerobium; Halanaerobiaceae; Halanaerobiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria General Information: Environment: Fresh water, Sediment; Temp: Mesophile; Temp: 34 - 42C. Organisms identified in the genus Halanaerobium (also known as Haloanaerobium) were first isolated from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA and have since been isolated from diverse saline environments such as oil reserviors, brine-seawater interfaces and hypersaline sediments. These bacteria are extremely salt-tolerant and are able to grow in concentrations of salt as high as 25%.
- Sequence; - BLASTN hit (Low score = Light, High score = Dark) - hypothetical protein; - cds: hover for description
General Information: Clostridium botulinum A3 str. Loch Maree was isolated from duck liver paste during a botulism outbreak at a hotel in the Scottish highlands in 1922. This was the first and worst outbreak of botulism in the United Kingdom (UK). This organism produces one of the most potent and deadly neurotoxins known, a botulinum toxin that prevents the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thereby inhibiting muscle contraction and causing paralysis. In most cases the diseased person dies of asphyxiation as a result of paralysis of chest muscles involved in breathing. The spores are heat-resistant and can survive in inadequately heated, prepared, or processed foods. Spores germinate under favorable conditions (anaerobiosis and substrate-rich environment) and bacteria start propagating very rapidly, producing the toxin.Botulinum toxin, and C. botulinum cells, has been found in a wide variety of foods, including canned ones. Almost any food that has a high pH (above 4.6) can support growth of the bacterium. Honey is the most common vehicle for infection in infants. Food poisoning through C. botulinum is the most frequent type of infection caused by this bacterium. The wound botulism that occurs when C. botulinum infects an individual via an open wound is much rarer and is very similar to tetanus disease. There are several types of botulinum toxin known (type A through type F), all of them being neurotoxic polypeptides. The most common and widely distributed are strains and serovars of C. botulinum that produce type A toxin.