Query: NC_016801:394400 Corynebacterium diphtheriae C7 (beta) chromosome, complete genome Lineage: Corynebacterium diphtheriae; Corynebacterium; Corynebacteriaceae; Actinomycetales; Actinobacteria; Bacteria General Information: They may be found as members of the normal microflora of humans, where these bacteria find a suitable niche in virtually every anatomic site. This organism is the best known and most widely studied species of the genus. It is the causal agent of the disease diphtheria, a deadly infectious disease spreading from person to person by respiratory droplets from the throat through coughing and sneezing. In the course of infection, the bacteria invade and colonize tissues of the upper respiratory tract, proliferate and produce exotoxin that inhibits protein synthesis and causes local lesions and systemic degenerative changes in the heart, muscles, peripheral nerves, liver and other vital organs.
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General Information: This organism, like other myxobacteria, undergoes a complex development and differentiation pathway. When cell density increases, the organism switches to "social motility" where aggregates of cells can gather together into masses termed fruiting bodies that may consist of up to 100 000 cells. The motility system is not dependent on flagella like most bacteria, but instead relies on twitching pili: short extracellular appendages that may function analogously to oars in a rowboat. The myxobacteria have proved to be a rich source of novel natural products. Myxococcus fulvus produces a number of antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic substances which are being studies for therapeutic applications.