Query: NC_014323:3669704 Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 chromosome, complete genome Lineage: Herbaspirillum seropedicae; Herbaspirillum; Oxalobacteraceae; Burkholderiales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: Root-associated nitrogen-fixing bacterium. Herbaspirillum seropedicae is an endophitic nitrogen-fixing beta-Proteobacteria found associated with important crops such as sugarcane, wheat, maize, rice and sorghum. It is non-phytopathogenic and produces interesting biotechnological products such as polybetaalkanoates and cyanophycin. Herbaspirillum seropedicae was isolated from the roots of rice plants, and is member of a group of free-living soil bacteria known to promote plant growth. The yields of rice and sorghum were significantly increased when grown in soil inoculated with Herbaspirillum seropedicae.
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General Information: This organism was first isolated from the soil in Vineland, New Jersey, although it is found worldwide. It is a large obligate aerobe that has one of the highest respiratory rates of any organism. Azotobacter vinelandii also produces a number of unusual nitrogenases which allow it to fix atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, a compound it can then use as a nitrogen source. It protects the oxygen-sensitive nitrogenase enzymes through its high respiratory rate, which sequesters the nitrogenase complexes in an anoxic environment. This organism has a number of unusual characteristics. Under extreme environmental conditions, the cell will produce a cyst that is resistant to dessication and is surrounded by two capsular polysaccharide layers. This organism produces two industrially important polysaccharides, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and alginate. PHB is a thermoplastic biopolymer, and alginate is used in the food industry. Alginate is also used by the pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa to infect the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients.