User:MacbethR
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus MacbethR
Classification
Higher order taxa
Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Alpha Proteobacteria; Rickettsiales; Rickettsiaceae; Spotted fever group
Species
|
NCBI: Taxonomy |
Rickettsia rickettsii
Description and significance
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important. Rickettsia rickettsii is a small (0.3-1.5μm), rod-shaped, Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium. The bacteria typically reside within ticks. A bite from an infected tick can cause infection in a mammal, and in humans R. rickettsii infection causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). R. rickettsii has only been identified in the Western Hemisphere, and it has been found in all 48 continental states in the U.S. except Maine (1). Established tick hosts of R. rickettsii in the US include the American dog tick, D. variabilis, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, D. andersoni, and the brown dog tick, R. sanguineus. The tick D. variabilis and thus R. rickettsii are commonly found in the eastern US deciduous forest biome (1,2). The Rocky Mountain wood tick, D. andersoni, is found predominantly in the Western US (10).
The incidence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever has increased during the last decade from less than 2 cases per million persons in 2000 to over 8 cases per million persons in 2008 (2). Over 60% of the cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever occur in 5 states: North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Missouri (2).
Image of R. rickettsii under microscopy (3).
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.
Ecology
Habitat; symbiosis; contributions to the environment.
Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
Current Research and or Application to Biotechnology
Enter summaries of the most recent research and/or application to biotechnology here--at least three required
References
Edited by student of Dr. Lynn M Bedard, DePauw University http://www.depauw.edu
