Pre_GI: SWBIT SVG BLASTP

Query: NC_020207:2240115 Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354, complete genome

Lineage: Enterococcus faecium; Enterococcus; Enterococcaceae; Lactobacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria

General Information: This genera consists of organisms typically found in the intestines of mammals, although through fecal contamination they can appear in sewage, soil, and water. They cause a number of infections that are becoming increasingly a problem due to the number of antibiotic resistance mechanisms these organisms have picked up. Both Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium cause similar diseases in humans, and are mainly distinguished by their metabolic capabilities. This opportunistic pathogen causes a range of infections similar to those observed with Enterococcus faecalis, including urinary tract infections, bacteremia (bacteria in the blood), and infective endocarditis (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart). Hospital-acquired infections from this organism are on the rise due to the emergence of antiobiotic resistance strains and has led to the rise of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains due to the horizontal transfer of Enterococcus antibiotic resistance genes. Little is known about the virulence mechanisms in this organism, but the genome does encode an esp gene for the surface adhesin. Vancomycin resistant isolates are more typically Enterococcus faecium than Enterococcus faecalis.

Subject: NC_006322:567987 Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 14580, complete genome

Lineage: Bacillus licheniformis; Bacillus; Bacillaceae; Bacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria

General Information: Industrially important bacterium. Under starvation conditions this group of bacteria initiate a pathway that leads to endospore formation, a process that is thoroughly studied and is a model system for prokaryotic development and differentiation. Spores are highly resistant to heat, cold, dessication, radiation, and disinfectants, and enable the organism to persist in otherwise inhospitable environments. Under more inviting conditions the spores germinate to produce vegetative cells. This organism is a soil-dwelling endospore-forming microbe similar to other Bacilli. This bacterium is used extensively in the industrial production of important enzymes such as proteases, penicllinases, and amylases as well as smaller compounds like the antibiotic bacitracin and various organic metabolites. This organism is closely related to Bacillus subtilis on the basis of rRNA typing, and it has been found to occasionally cause illness in humans.