Query: NC_017513:115870 Neisseria meningitidis G2136 chromosome, complete genome Lineage: Neisseria meningitidis; Neisseria; Neisseriaceae; Neisseriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria General Information: The second of two pathogenic Neisseria, this organism causes septicemia and is the leading cause of life-threatening meningitis (inflammation of the meninges, the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord) in children. This organism typically residies in the nasopharynx cavity but can invade the respiratory epthelial barrier, cross into the bloodstream and the blood brain barrier, and cause inflammation of the meninges. Pathogenicity factors include the surface proteins (porins and opacity proteins), and the type IV pilus (which is also found in Neisseria gonorrhoeae). This organism, like Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is naturally competent, and protein complexes at the cell surface recognize the uptake signal sequence in extracellular DNA, an 8mer that is found at high frequency in Neisseria chromosomal DNA.
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General Information: Marinomonas MWYL1 was isolated from the root surface of the salt marsh grass Spartina anglica, growing near the North Norfolk, England village of Stiffkey. The genus Marinomonas comprises a widespread group of g -proteobacteria that exist in coastal waters, and which had been earlier been included in the genus Alteromonas. The interest in Marinomonas MWYL 1 was that it could grow on the betaine molecule Dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) as sole carbon source and, when it did do, it released large amounts of the gas dimethyl sulphide. DMSP is a compatible solute that is used by many marine phytoplankton and seaweed macroalgae as an osmoticum and an anti-stress compound. In addition, a few known land angiosperms make DMSP and these include certain species of Spartina - hence the choice of these plants as a source for DMSP-degrading bacteria. Indeed, others had shown previously that the DMSP-catabolising bacteria isolated from Spartina root surfaces included Marinomonas strains.