Query: NC_016894:77853 Acetobacterium woodii DSM 1030 chromosome, complete genome
Lineage: Acetobacterium woodii; Acetobacterium; Eubacteriaceae; Clostridiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: Acetobacterium woodii is a Gram positive, motile, strict anaerobic, acetogenic bacterium, that relies on Na+ as coupling ion in bioenergetic reactions. The organism can use a wide range of substrates, such as sugars, alcohols, methoxylated aromatic acids or C1 compounds. Electrons derived from these electron donors are used in the Wood-Ljungdahl-pathway where the organism fixes CO2 and produces acetate. The pathway of CO2-fixation is coupled to energy conservation via a chemiosmotic mechanism, one enzyme that seems to be involved is the Rnf complex. The produced Na+ gradient can be used to drive ATP-synthesis or flagella rotation. The ATP synthase is a member of the F1FO class of enzymes and has an unusual hybrid rotor. Can use alternative electron acceptors like the lignin degradation product caffeate.
Subject: NC_008262:67711 Clostridium perfringens SM101, complete genome
Lineage: Clostridium perfringens; Clostridium; Clostridiaceae; Clostridiales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: This is a enterotoxin-producing food poisoning strain. Causative agent of gas gangrene. This genus comprises about 150 metabolically diverse species of anaerobes that are ubiquitous in virtually all anoxic habitats where organic compounds are present, including soils, aquatic sediments and the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. This shape is attributed to the presence of endospores that develop under conditions unfavorable for vegetative growth and distend single cells terminally or sub-terminally. Spores germinate under conditions favorable for vegetative growth, such as anaerobiosis and presence of organic substrates. It is believed that present day Mollicutes (Eubacteria) have evolved regressively (i.e., by genome reduction) from gram-positive clostridia-like ancestors with a low GC content in DNA. Known opportunistic toxin-producing pathogens in animals and humans. Some species are capable of producing organic solvents (acetone, ethanol, etc,), molecular hydrogen and other useful compounds. This organism is a causative agent of a wide spectrum of necrotic enterotoxicoses. It also causes such animal diseases as lamb dysentery, ovine enterotoxemia (struck), pulpy kidney disease in lambs and other enterotoxemias in lambs and calves. It is commonly found in the environment (soil, sewage) and in the animal and human gastrointestinal tract as a member of the normal microflora. It is a fast growing (generation time 8-10 min) anaerobic flesh-eater. Active fermentative growth is accompanied by profuse generation of molecular hydrogen and carbon dioxide. It is also oxygen tolerant which makes it an easy object to work with in laboratories. C. perfringens have been developed and the species became a model organism in clostridial genetic studies. Known isolates belong to five distinct types (A, B, C, D, and E) that are distinguished based on the specific extracellular toxins they produce. Known isolates belong to five distinct types (A, B, C, D, and E) that are distinguished based on the specific extracellular toxins they produce. All types produce the alpha toxin (phospholipase C). Type A strains that cause gas gangrene produce alpha toxin, theta (hemolysin), kappa (collagenase), mu (hyaluronidase), nu (DNAse) and neuraminidase which are all the enzymatic factors aiding the bacterium in invading and destruction of the host tissues. Type C strains produce alpha toxin, beta toxin and prefringolysin enteritis. In addition to alpha toxin, Type B strains produce beta toxin, types B and D produce the pore forming epsilon toxin and type E strains produce iota toxin.