Query: NC_017512:2087098 Neisseria meningitidis WUE 2594, complete genome
Lineage: Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria; Neisseriaceae; Neisseriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: The second of two pathogenic Neisseria, this organism causes septicemia and is the leading cause of life-threatening meningitis (inflammation of the meninges, the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord) in children. This organism typically residies in the nasopharynx cavity but can invade the respiratory epthelial barrier, cross into the bloodstream and the blood brain barrier, and cause inflammation of the meninges. Pathogenicity factors include the surface proteins (porins and opacity proteins), and the type IV pilus (which is also found in Neisseria gonorrhoeae). This organism, like Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is naturally competent, and protein complexes at the cell surface recognize the uptake signal sequence in extracellular DNA, an 8mer that is found at high frequency in Neisseria chromosomal DNA.
Subject: NC_004369:531579 Corynebacterium efficiens YS-314, complete genome
Lineage: Corynebacterium efficiens; Corynebacterium; Corynebacteriaceae; Actinomycetales; Actinobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This is the type strain of C. efficiens isolated by researchers of Ajinomoto food company from soils at Kanagawa, Japan in the late 1980's. The strain can grow and produce glutamate at temperatures above up to 45oC in contrast to C. glutamicum that is only efficient at around 30oC. This feature is very beneficial for industrial applications, because less heat removal is required in fermenters to be used for cultivation of these bacteria. Glutamate-producing bacterium. 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 a recently proposed new species of the genus capable of producing significant quantities of glutamic acid (glutamate), an important enhancer of taste in the food industry. It is currently used commercially to produce glutamate and other amino acids and compounds.