Query: NC_012779:261438 Edwardsiella ictaluri 93-146, complete genome Lineage: Edwardsiella ictaluri; Edwardsiella; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: Edwardsiella ictaluri is the causative agent of enteric septicemia in catfish (ESC), an economically significant disease of farm-raised catfish. The acute form of ESC causes bacterial septicemia (proliferation of bacteria in the blood) which rapidly leads to death. The chronic form of this disease causes a characteristic head lesion, and may also proceed to septicemia and death. Two plasmids, which are consistently present in Edwardsiella ictaluri isolates, have been sequenced. Both plasmids contain genes for the type III secretory system, which is involved in translocating pathogenicity proteins into the eukaryotic cell.
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General Information: This well studied laboratory strain (Porton isolate) is not virulent due to the loss of the two plasmids, pXO1 and pXO2. Under starvation conditions this group of bacteria initiate a pathway that leads to endospore formation, a process that is thoroughly studied and is a model system for prokaryotic development and differentiation. Spores are highly resistant to heat, cold, dessication, radiation, and disinfectants, and enable the organism to persist in otherwise inhospitable environments. Under more inviting conditions the spores germinate to produce vegetative cells. This organism was the first to be shown to cause disease by Dr. Louis Pasteur (the organism, isolated from sick animals, was grown in the laboratory and then used to infect healthy animals and make them sick). This organism was also the first for which an attenuated strain was developed as a vaccine. Herbivorous animals become infected with the organism when they ingest spores from the soil whereas humans become infected when they come into contact with a contaminated animal. PA/LF and PA/EF complexes are internalized by host cells where the LF (metalloprotease) and EF (calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase) components act. At high levels LF induces cell death and release of the bacterium while EF increases host susceptibility to infection and promotes fluid accumulation in the cells.