Query: NC_008601:246583 Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida U112, complete genome
Lineage: Francisella tularensis; Francisella; Francisellaceae; Thiotrichales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Avirulent species. Francisella novicida is closely related to Francisella tularensis, the causative agent for tularemia but is nonvirulent. This organism, however may cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. They do however cause a disease in mice that is very similar to tularemia. This strain was isolated from water in Utah, USA in 1950. Francisella tularensis is a non-motile, aerobic, rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium and is the causative agent of tularemia.
Subject: NC_010001:434803 Clostridium phytofermentans ISDg, complete genome
Lineage: Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans; Lachnoclostridium; Lachnospiraceae; Clostridiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: Isolated from forest soil near the Quabbin Reservoir in Massachusetts, USA. This organism plays an important industrial and ecological role in the anaerobic fermentation of cellulose and produces economically significant levels of acetate and ethanol. This genus comprises about 150 metabolically diverse species of anaerobes that are ubiquitous in virtually all anoxic habitats where organic compounds are present, including soils, aquatic sediments and the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. This shape is attributed to the presence of endospores that develop under conditions unfavorable for vegetative growth and distend single cells terminally or sub-terminally. Spores germinate under conditions favorable for vegetative growth, such as anaerobiosis and presence of organic substrates. It is believed that present day Mollicutes (Eubacteria) have evolved regressively (i.e., by genome reduction) from gram-positive clostridia-like ancestors with a low GC content in DNA.