Query: NC_008048:2838769 Sphingopyxis alaskensis RB2256, complete genome Lineage: Sphingopyxis alaskensis; Sphingopyxis; Sphingomonadaceae; Sphingomonadales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: Isolated from Resurrection Bay in the Gulf of Alaska. It is a model oligotrophic organism and forms a very small cell size. his genus was created from the Sphingomonas genus on the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Sphingopyxis alaskensis is one of the most numerically abundant microbes found in oligotrophic marine waters and is an important contributor of biomass.
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General Information: This organism was first isolated from the soil in Vineland, New Jersey, although it is found worldwide. It is a large obligate aerobe that has one of the highest respiratory rates of any organism. Azotobacter vinelandii also produces a number of unusual nitrogenases which allow it to fix atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, a compound it can then use as a nitrogen source. It protects the oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase enzymes through its high respiratory rate, which sequesters the nitrogenase complexes in an anoxic environment. This organism has a number of unusual characteristics. Under extreme environmental conditions, the cell will produce a cyst that is resistant to dessication and is surrounded by two capsular polysaccharide layers. This organism produces two industrially important polysaccharides, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and alginate. PHB is a thermoplastic biopolymer, and alginate is used in the food industry. Alginate is also used by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to infect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.