Query: NC_010163:1193237 Acholeplasma laidlawii PG-8A chromosome, complete genome
Lineage: Acholeplasma laidlawii; Acholeplasma; Acholeplasmataceae; Acholeplasmatales; Tenericutes; Bacteria
General Information: Acholeplasma species are widely distributed in the nature and can be detected and isolated from different plant, avian, and mammalian sources. Acholeplasma laidlawii is found in soil, compost, wastewaters, cell cultures as well as in human tissues and in many animal species (birds, bovine, goat, equine, ovine, porcine, feline, rodent, primates). Acholeplasma laidlawii is capable of synthesizing glucose using a pyrophosphate-dependent 6-phosphofructokinase which has also been detected in other acholeplasmas (a good example of flexible metabolism). Additionally, Acholeplasma laidlawii and phytoplasmas are the only mollicutes known to use the universal genetic code, in which UGA is a stop codon.
Subject: NC_010263:771901 Rickettsia rickettsii str. Iowa, complete genome
Lineage: Rickettsia rickettsii; Rickettsia; Rickettsiaceae; Rickettsiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Causative agent for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This organism was first identified by Dr. Howard Rickets as the causative agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which was originally named for its geographic distribution at the time, it is now known to be widespread throughout the North American continent. This bacterium is an obligate intracellular pathogen that infects primarily the vascular endothelium, and occasionally smooth muscle tissue. It is passed to the human host from a tick bite, and the tick acts as both a natural reservoir and a vector for disease transmission. Once the organism is endocytosed by the host cell, it quickly escapes the phagozome, and replicates intracellularly, causing cell death and tissue damage. The disease is characterized by a spotted rash and has a high mortality rate if left untreated.