Query: NC_012815:1465670 Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis DSM 10140, complete genome
Lineage: Bifidobacterium animalis; Bifidobacterium; Bifidobacteriaceae; Bifidobacteriales; Actinobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (strain DSM 10140 / JCM 10602 / LMG 18314) is an anaerobic Gram-positive lactic acid bacterium commonly found in the guts of healthy humans and has been identified in the infant gut biota, particularly in ileal, fecal, and mucosal samples. Some strains of B. animalis subsp. lactis are able to survive in the GIT, to adhere to human epithelial cells in vitro, to modify fecal flora, to modulate the host immune response, or to prevent microbial gastroenteritis and colitis.
Subject: NC_010516:42475 Clostridium botulinum B1 str. Okra, complete genome
Lineage: Clostridium botulinum; Clostridium; Clostridiaceae; Clostridiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: This organism produces one of the most potent and deadly neurotoxins known, a botulinum toxin that prevents the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thereby inhibiting muscle contraction and causing paralysis. In most cases the diseased person dies of asphyxiation as a result of paralysis of chest muscles involved in breathing. The spores are heat-resistant and can survive in inadequately heated, prepared, or processed foods. Spores germinate under favorable conditions (anaerobiosis and substrate-rich environment) and bacteria start propagating very rapidly, producing the toxin.Botulinum toxin, and C. botulinum cells, has been found in a wide variety of foods, including canned ones. Almost any food that has a high pH (above 4.6) can support growth of the bacterium. Honey is the most common vehicle for infection in infants. Food poisoning through C. botulinum is the most frequent type of infection caused by this bacterium. The wound botulism that occurs when C. botulinum infects an individual via an open wound is much rarer and is very similar to tetanus disease. There are several types of botulinum toxin known (type A through type F), all of them being neurotoxic polypeptides. The most common and widely distributed are strains and serovars of C. botulinum that produce type A toxin.