Query: NC_016947:666627 Mycobacterium intracellulare MOTT-02 chromosome, complete genome
Lineage: Mycobacterium intracellulare; Mycobacterium; Mycobacteriaceae; Actinomycetales; Actinobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Like other closely related Actinomycetales, such as Nocardia and Corynebacterium, Mycobacteria have unusually high genomic DNA GC content and are capable of producing mycolic acids as major components of their cell wall. Mycobacterium intracellulare is a member of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). These organisms cause tuberculosis in birds, and pulmonary and disseminated infections in immunocompromized humans. Mycobacterium intracellulare is also an important contributor to MAC-associated pulmonary infections in immunocompetent patients. Infection results in a characteristic pulmonary disease which requires expensive drug therapy for successful treatment. Mycobacterium intracellulare can also be isolated from the environment and, like other environmental organisms, is able to form and survive in biofilms.
Subject: NC_006814:403723 Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, complete genome
Lineage: Lactobacillus acidophilus; Lactobacillus; Lactobacillaceae; Lactobacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: This organism is a normal inhabitant of the human intestinal tract. This strain was isolated from a human in 1970. Normal gastrointestinal bacterium. They are commonly found in the oral, vaginal, and intestinal regions of many animals. They are important industrial microbes that contribute to the production of cheese, yogurt, and other products such as fermented milks, all stemming from the production of lactic acid, which inhibits the growth of other organisms as well as lowering the pH of the food product. Industrial production requires the use of starter cultures, which are carefully cultivated, created, and maintained, which produce specific end products during fermentation that impart flavor to the final product, as well as contributing important metabolic reactions, such as the breakdown of milk proteins during cheese production. The end product of fermentation, lactic acid, is also being used as a starter molecule for complex organic molecule syntheses. This organism has been studied for its ability to help the human gut maintain its natural microbial community. Strains of this organism are also used in the production of yogurt, cheese and other fermented foods.