Query: NC_005296:4574213 Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009, complete genome
Lineage: Rhodopseudomonas palustris; Rhodopseudomonas; Bradyrhizobiaceae; Rhizobiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Environmental bacterium with potential use in bioremediation. This organism has a diverse metabolism and is capable of growth using light, inorganic, or organic compounds as energy sources and carbon dioxide or organic compounds as carbon sources. Commonly found in soil and water environments this bacterium is also capable of degrading a wide range of toxic organic compounds, and may be of use in bioremediation of polluted sites. The bacterium undergoes differentiation to produce a stalked nonmotile cell and a motile flagellated cell. In the presence of light, this bacterium produces a number of intracellular membranous vesicles to house the photosynthetic reaction centers.
Subject: NC_002505:2537655 Vibrio cholerae O1 biovar eltor str. N16961 chromosome I, complete
Lineage: Vibrio cholerae; Vibrio; Vibrionaceae; Vibrionales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This is an epidemic serogroup of Vibrio cholerae isolated in 1971 in Bangladesh and is distinguished from the classical biotype due to hemolysin production. This genus is abundant in marine or freshwater environments such as estuaries, brackish ponds, or coastal areas; regions that provide an important reservoir for the organism in between outbreaks of the disease. Vibrio can affect shellfish, finfish, and other marine animals and a number of species are pathogenic for humans. Vibrio cholerae can colonize the mucosal surface of the small intestines of humans where it will cause cholera, a severe and sudden onset diarrheal disease. One famous outbreak was traced to a contaminated well in London in 1854 by John Snow, and epidemics, which can occur with extreme rapidity, are often associated with conditions of poor sanitation. The disease has a high lethality if left untreated, and millions have died over the centuries. There have been seven major pandemics between 1817 and today. Six were attributed to the classical biotype, while the 7th, which started in 1961, is associated with the El Tor biotype.