User:JohnsonAE: Difference between revisions
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Sordellii | |||
==Description and significance== | ==Description and significance== | ||
Revision as of 12:11, 10 May 2012
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus JohnsonAE
Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Firmicutes Class: Clostridia Order: Clostridiales Family: Clostridiaceae
Species
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Genus species
Sordellii
Description and significance
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.
Clostridium sordelli is an anaerobic, gram positive and spore forming bacterium. It has peritrichous flagella and its most common habitat is the soil but it is also found in intestines of animals and humans (1). Clostridium sordelli has both non-pathogenic strains and pathogenic strains (6). Its pathogenic strains are known to cause toxic shock syndrome in humans and enteritis in sheep and cattle (1 & 6). This bacterium is important because its pathogenic strain causes a lot of damages and sometimes death to the organism infected. I want to investigate what has been done to control its virulence and resistant strains. In addition, research on its non-pathogenic strain and its usefulness will be done.
Genome structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
Cell structure and metabolism
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
An important molecule that Clostridium sordelli produces that aids its pathogenic strain in surviving is its toxins. Clostridium sordelli produces a variety of different toxins such as exotoxin, endotoxin and hemorrhagic toxin. Its endotoxin is released when its cell wall disintegrates (4).
Ecology
Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment.
Clostridium sordelli lives in the soil, sheep, cattle and human gastrointestinal tract. It is also present in the microbe population of the human vagina (2&4).
Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
Clostridium sordelli produces toxins only in its vegetative state and infects post pregnancy but primarily develops after childbirth. Sex hormones, steroid hormones, increased amino acid level and vaginal pH during pregnancy triggers the spores to germinate and also regulates its toxin production. Toxic shock caused by Clostridium sordelli toxins usually leads to 70% death in women (2). Pneumonia and endocarditis are other complications that can arise as a result of Clostridium sordelli infection. Symptoms of this infection include, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Toxic shock symptoms include low blood pressure, loss of blood plasma, rapid heart rate, fever (6). In animals such as sheep and cattle, infection by Clostridium sordelli occurs after the ingestion of its spores as they are not readily present in these animals like they are in human vagina (2).
Current Research and or Application to Biotechnology
Enter summaries of the most recent research and/or application to biotechnology here--at least three required Paper 2 can go here too
References
Edited by student of Dr. Lynn M Bedard, DePauw University http://www.depauw.edu
