Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTP

Query: NC_008513:343540 Buchnera aphidicola str. Cc (Cinara cedri), complete genome

Lineage: Buchnera aphidicola; Buchnera; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This strain is found in the cedar aphid, Cinara cedri. Aphid endosymbiont. Almost all aphids contain maternally transmitted bacteriocyte cells, which themselves contain bacteria called Buchnera. The aphids live on a restricted diet (plant sap), rich in carbohydrates, but poor in nitrogenous or other essential compounds. It is believed that the Buchnera provide the essential nutrients the host lacks. Besides a nutritional co-dependence, due to a co-existence of millions of years, Buchnera have lost the ability to produce cell surface components such as lipopolysaccharides. This makes for an obligate endosymbiont relationship between host and Buchnera. Buchnera are prokaryotic cells which belong to the gamma-Proteobacteria, closely related to the Enterobacteriaceae family. Phylogenetic studies using 16S rRNA indicate that the symbiotic relationship was established around 200-250 million years ago. Since Buchnera are closely related to Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae, comparative genomic studies can shed light on the evolutionary mechanisms of intracellular endosymbiosis as well as the different underlying molecular basis between organisms with parasitic behavior and symbionts.

Subject: NC_003317:392271 Brucella melitensis 16M chromosome I, complete sequence

Lineage: Brucella melitensis; Brucella; Brucellaceae; Rhizobiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This strain was isolated from an infected goat and is pathogenic in humans. Causes brucellosis and undulant fever. They are highly infectious, and can be spread through contact with infected animal products or through the air, making them a potential bioterrorism agent. Once the organism has entered the body, it can become intracellular, and enter the blood and lymphatic regions, multiplying inside phagocytes before eventually causing bacteremia (spread of bacteria through the blood). Virulence may depend on a type IV secretion system which may promote intracellular growth by secreting important effector molecules. This organism is a facultative intracellular bacteria that causes abortion in wild and domestic animals, usually goats or sheep, and undulant fever in humans. Brucellosis is a major health problem in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where it causes severe economic losses. The disease is transmitted to humans by nonpasteurized milk and milk products or by direct contact with infected animals or carcasses.