Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTN

Query: NC_020207:2240115 Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354, complete genome

Lineage: Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus; Enterococcaceae; Lactobacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria

General Information: This genera consists of organisms typically found in the intestines of mammals, although through fecal contamination they can appear in sewage, soil, and water. They cause a number of infections that are becoming increasingly a problem due to the number of antibiotic resistance mechanisms these organisms have picked up. Both Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium cause similar diseases in humans, and are mainly distinguished by their metabolic capabilities. This opportunistic pathogen causes a range of infections similar to those observed with Enterococcus faecalis, including urinary tract infections, bacteremia (bacteria in the blood), and infective endocarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart). Hospital-acquired infections from this organism are on the rise due to the emergence of antiobiotic resistance strains and has led to the rise of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains due to the horizontal transfer of Enterococcus antibiotic resistance genes. Little is known about the virulence mechanisms in this organism, but the genome does encode an esp gene for the surface adhesin. Vancomycin resistant isolates are more typically Enterococcus faecium than Enterococcus faecalis.

Subject: NC_006155:2084669 Yersinia pseudotuberculosis IP 32953, complete genome

Lineage: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis; Yersinia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This strain is a fully virulent serotype I strain isolated from a human patient. Environmental bacterium that causes gastrointestinal disease. Specific virulence factors are encoded within pathogenicity islands (PAIs) that are required for the invasive phenotype associated with Yersinia infections. One key virulence plasmid contained by the three human-specific pathogens is pCD1/pYv, which encodes a type III secretion system for the delivery of virulence proteins that contribute to internalization into the host cell. This organism was first isolated in 1883 by Malassez and Vignal and is termed pseudotuberculosis since it causes lesions in the lung that are similar to those observed during tuberculosis infection. It is ubiquitous in the environment and is a food and waterborne pathogen that affects animals as well as humans by causing gastroenteritis like Yersinia enterocolitica.