Query: NC_006569:69939 Silicibacter pomeroyi DSS-3 megaplasmid, complete sequence Lineage: Ruegeria pomeroyi; Ruegeria; Rhodobacteraceae; Rhodobacterales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: Formerly Silicibacter pomeroyi, his marine bacterium is a member of the Roseobacter clade and was isolated off of the coast of Georgia in 1998. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate-degrading bacterium. Ruegeria pomeroyi is capable of degrading the organic sulfur compound DMSP (dimethylsulfoniopropionate) and can metabolize a number of sulfur compounds. DMSP is synthesized by marine algae and the degradation product dimethylsulfide contributes to the global sulfur cycle.
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General Information: This well studied laboratory strain (Porton isolate) is not virulent due to the loss of the two plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2. Under starvation conditions this group of bacteria initiate a pathway that leads to endospore formation, a process that is thoroughly studied and is a model system for prokaryotic development and differentiation. Spores are highly resistant to heat, cold, dessication, radiation, and disinfectants, and enable the organism to persist in otherwise inhospitable environments. Under more inviting conditions the spores germinate to produce vegetative cells. This organism was the first to be shown to cause disease by Dr. Louis Pasteur (the organism, isolated from sick animals, was grown in the laboratory and then used to infect healthy animals and make them sick). This organism was also the first for which an attenuated strain was developed as a vaccine. Herbivorous animals become infected with the organism when they ingest spores from the soil whereas humans become infected when they come into contact with a contaminated animal. PA/LF and PA/EF complexes are internalized by host cells where the LF (metalloprotease) and EF (calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase) components act. At high levels LF induces cell death and release of the bacterium while EF increases host susceptibility to infection and promotes fluid accumulation in the cells.