Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTP

Query: NC_009438:2058566 Shewanella putrefaciens CN-32 chromosome, complete genome

Lineage: Shewanella putrefaciens; Shewanella; Shewanellaceae; Alteromonadales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: Shewanella putrefaciens is a Gram-negative bacterium. It has been isolated from marine environments, as well as from anaerobic sandstone in the Morrison formation in New Mexico, USA. S. putrefaciens is also a facultative anaerobe with the ability to reduce iron and manganese metabolically; that is, it can use iron and manganese as the terminal electron acceptor in the electron transport chain (in contrast to obligate aerobes which must use oxygen for this purpose). It is also one of the organisms associated with the odor of rotting fish, as it is a marine organism which produces trimethylamines (hence the species name putrefaciens, from putrid). This genus includes species that inhabit a wide range of environments and are capable of utilizing a wide variety of electron acceptors during anaerobic respiration including some insoluble metal oxides while using very few carbon sources such as lactate or acetate. This group of organisms have been studied extensively for their electron transport systems. This species, along with Shewanella algae, are the only Shewanella spp. to be found in clinical speciments. Normally found in marine environments in warmer temperatures, infections seem to occur more frequently in countries with a warm climate and in other countries during warm summer months.

Subject: NC_002505:1892430 Vibrio cholerae O1 biovar eltor str. N16961 chromosome I, complete

Lineage: Vibrio cholerae; Vibrio; Vibrionaceae; Vibrionales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria

General Information: This is an epidemic serogroup of Vibrio cholerae isolated in 1971 in Bangladesh and is distinguished from the classical biotype due to hemolysin production. This genus is abundant in marine or freshwater environments such as estuaries, brackish ponds, or coastal areas; regions that provide an important reservoir for the organism in between outbreaks of the disease. Vibrio can affect shellfish, finfish, and other marine animals and a number of species are pathogenic for humans. Vibrio cholerae can colonize the mucosal surface of the small intestines of humans where it will cause cholera, a severe and sudden onset diarrheal disease. One famous outbreak was traced to a contaminated well in London in 1854 by John Snow, and epidemics, which can occur with extreme rapidity, are often associated with conditions of poor sanitation. The disease has a high lethality if left untreated, and millions have died over the centuries. There have been seven major pandemics between 1817 and today. Six were attributed to the classical biotype, while the 7th, which started in 1961, is associated with the El Tor biotype.