Query: NC_007712:2978000 Sodalis glossinidius str. 'morsitans', complete genome
Lineage: Sodalis glossinidius; Sodalis; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Sodalis glossinidius is known exclusively in endosymbiosis with tsetse flies. It is maternally transmitted, and is one of the few bacterial endosymbionts of insects that can be cultured successfully in vitro. Genome data reveals a high proportion of pseudogenes in this species, many of which were, in their functional state, involved in defense or transport of carbohydrates and inorganic ions. This suggests a degenerative adaptation to the immunity and restricted nutritional status of the host.
Subject: NC_009800:2651730 Escherichia coli HS, complete genome
Lineage: Escherichia coli; Escherichia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This strain (HS; serotype O9) is a human commensal that was originally isolated from a laboratory scientist at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in 1978 (Levine, 1978). Strain HS colonizes the human gastrointestinal tract in challenge experiments, but no overt signs of disease occur. Thus, this strain represents a genomic baseline for human gastrointestinal tract colonization. This organism was named for its discoverer, Theodore Escherich, and is one of the premier model organisms used in the study of bacterial genetics, physiology, and biochemistry. This enteric organism is typically present in the lower intestine of humans, where it is the dominant facultative anaerobe present, but it is only one minor constituent of the complete intestinal microflora. E. coli, is capable of causing various diseases in its host, especially when they acquire virulence traits. E. coli can cause urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis, and many different intestinal diseases, usually by attaching to the host cell and introducing toxins that disrupt normal cellular processes.