Coxiella burnetii
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Coxiella burnetii
Classification
Higher order taxa
Domain; Phylum; Class; Order; family [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]
Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Gammaproteobacteria; Legionellales; Coxiellaceae; Coxiella
Species
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Genus species
Coxiella burnetti
Description and significance
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.
- from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Coxiella burnetti is an obligate intracellular gram negative coccobacillus bacterium that is known to be the main pathogen that causes Q fever in mammals and humans. Harold Cox and MacFarlane Burnet initially identified Q fever as “query fever” in 1935 when a number of infections were found to be from an Australian slaughterhouse. Once the perplexity of this disease was elucidated to be a human infection, the name was properly changed to Q fever. Its global pathogenic effect demonstrates the need for preventive measures to control the rate of infection worldwide and its potential use for bioterrorism. The significance of a completed sequenced genome is the benefit of being able to further understand the mechanisms of pathogenesis and use this knowledge to fight against this infectious disease. Sheep, cattle, and goats are major sources of Coxiella burnetti. The mode of transmission to humans is primarily through waste excretion from infected animals followed by inhalation of contaminated air that contains many of these organisms or through an insect vector. Coxiella burnetti live in a wildlife livestock environment and can withstand heat, dryness, and antibacterial compounds, allowing this bacterium to persist outside the host for an extensively long period of time. It is an acidophile, meaning it tends to surround itself in an environment with low pH. Uniquely enough, it can be endocytosed by a macrophage and complete replication inside the phagolysozyme during its life cycle.
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? Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?
Random shotgun method was used to sequence the genome of Coxiella burnetti. The genome of this organism is attributed by the presence of a single 1,995,281 base-pair circular chromosome and a single 37,393 base-pair QpH1 circular plasmid. In the chromosome, there are 1,022 protein-coding genes found for known proteins, 179 genes for proteins of unknown function, 3 stable rRNAs, and 42 stable tRNAs. Percent of G+C content is approximately 42.6% and percent coding is approximately 89.1% in the chromosome. As for QpH1, there are 11 genes found for known proteins, 5 for proteins of unknown function, and no stable RNAs. 39.3% represents the percent of G+C content and 78.8% is the percent coding in the plasmid.
Examining 20 highly conserved proteins in 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis proved the fundamental phylogenetic difference with the α-proteobacterial Rickettsia organisms and confirmed that Coxiella are truly γ-proteobacterial. In genomic comparison with other similar obligate parasites such as those from Rickettsia, Coxiella were found to contain mobile elements, metabolic and transport capabilities not typically found for the kind of bacteria they are. In addition, 29 insertion sequences were located in the genome; this is noteworthy information because other obligate parasites have very little or none of these elements. A notion that Coxiella burnetti are enduring a genome reduction has been proposed due to the fact that 83 pseudogenes have been identified. Proteins synthesized by this bacteria have a particularly high pI, which may give rise to the acidic environment Coxiella burnetti reside in.
Cell structure and metabolism
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology
Describe any interactions with other organisms (included eukaryotes), contributions to the environment, effect on environment, etc.
Pathology
How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
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
NIAID Biodefense Image Library. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. 02 May 2007 <http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/biodefense/Public/Images.htm>.
Edited by Lisa Leung, student of Rachel Larsen and Kit Pogliano
