Bacillus clausii

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria; Firmicutes; Bacilli; Bacillales; Bacillaceae; Bacillus

Genus

Nitrobacter winogradskyi

NCBI: Taxonomy

Description and significance

They live together with the ammonia oxidisers. They are present in many soils, natural stones as well as fresh or brackish waters. The presence of organic materials often selects for the facultatively lithotrophic Nitrobacter species.

Nitrobacter winogradsky can be found living in many soils, natural stones as well as both fresh water and salt water. They have many differing rod shaped cells which divide through polar swelling. It contains an asymmetrical membrane system, carboxysomes along with intracellular inclusion bodies. It can grow in both aerobic and anarobic conditions with nitrate as its electron acceptor.

 It is important to sequence the genome of Nitrobacter winogradskyi to see the relation between itself and other bacteria involved  in the nitrogen cycle to improve nitrogen management.

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated. Include a picture or two (with sources) if you can find them.

Genome structure

Nitrobacter winogradskyi has a circlular DNA chormosome with the length of 3,402,093 bp encoding 3,143 predicted proteins. The genome is make up of around 62% GC pairs. 2566 were assigned a role in catagories. Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence? Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?

Cell structure and metabolism

Nitrobacter winogradskyi are gram negative bacteria which play a key role in the nitrogen cycle by converting nitrite to nitrate. It derives its energy through nitrite oxidation and carbon dioxide fixation, which it can do simultaniously, thus acting as a chemolithoautotroph. In the absence of nitrite it uses soley carbon sources and acts as a chemoorganoheterotroph. Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology

It interacts with ammonium oxidizing bacteria which also plays a key role in the nitrogen cycle. Ammonium oxidizing bacteria inititaites nitrification, in which nitrite is the end product. Nitrobacter winogradskyi then proceeds to oxidize nitrite to nitrate. Describe any interactions with other organisms (included eukaryotes), contributions to the environment, effect on environment, etc.

Pathology

There is no known virulence

Application to Biotechnology

Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?

Current Research

Enter summaries of the most recent research here--at least three required

References

example: http://genome.jgi-psf.org/finished_microbes/nitwi/nitwi.home.html

http://www.microbionet.com.au/nwinogradskyi.htm

http://rice.tigr.org/tigr-scripts/CMR2/GenomeTabs.spl?database=ntnw01 Glockner, F. O., M. Kube, M. Bauer, H. Teeling, T. Lombardot, W. Ludwig, D. Gade, A. Beck, K Borzym, K Heitmann, R. Rabus, H. Schlesner, R. Amann, and R. Reinhardt. 2003. "Complete genome sequence of the marine planctomycete Pirellula sp. strain 1." Proceedings of the National Acedemy of Sciences, vol. 100, no. 14. (8298-8303)

Edited by Ankur Patel of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano