Citrobacter Rodentium: Difference between revisions

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==Cell structure and metabolism==
==Cell structure and metabolism==
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Citrobacter rodentium is a gram negative bacterium, which indicates that it has a thin cell wall. There are no teichoic acids or lipoteichoic acids around the cell wall. However, it is surrounded by an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharide, which consists of lipid A, core polysaccharide, and O-polysaccharide. Also, porins, which are located in the outer membrane, serves to regulate the molecules coming in and out of the cell.


==Ecology==
==Ecology==

Revision as of 04:00, 29 August 2007

A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Citrobacter Rodentium

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria(Domain); Proteobacteria(Phylum); Gammaproteobacteria(Class); Enterobacteriales(Family); Enterobacteriaceae(Order); Citrobacter(Family)

Species

Citrobacter rodentium

Description and significance

Citrobacter rodentium is a gram negative bacterium which was previously known as Citrobacter freundii biotype 4280 and Citrobacter species 9. It is one of the 9 species belonging to genus Citrobacter. It is a rodent equivalent of human Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli infection. Also, it is a restricted mouse pathogen which lives in mouse colon and can survive with or without oxygen. It lives at a moderate temperature, thus is considered as a mesophile. Citrobacter rodentium is unable to produce acid from melibiose, sucrose, dulcitol, or glycerol, yet its ability to produce malonate reaction enables it to use malonate as the only source of carbon. It lacks motility and endospores, which are further significant characteristic of this species. Citrobacter rodentium was isolated from a mouse and was grown in Luria-Bertani agar at 37C. Then, in order to obtain the cells for extraction of DNA, Citrobacter rodentium strains were grown in brain heart infusion broth at around 37C. After, the isolates underwent PCR to be analyzed. Isolation and biotyping of Citrobacter rodentium are essential since nonpathogenic but related Citrobacter species can be found in mouse intestine. Also, because this organism contains virulence factors similar to those found in enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and enteropathogenic E. coli, its sequence can further provide insights into cytokinetics, cancer risk, and potentially inflammatory bowel disease.

Genome structure

Citrobacter rodentium is a gram negative, enteric bacterium. The genome of Citrobacter rodentium is 3,172 nucleotides long. It consists of guanine cytosine content which makes up 46% of the genome. The genome of Citrobacter rodentium is circular and its size is measured to be approximately around 5Mb. Citrobacter rodentium does not have any structural RNA and it also lacks pseudo genes. This genome sequence was completed by University of British Columbia, Biotechnology Laboratory, Canada, Vancouver in September 24th, 2001.

Cell structure and metabolism

Citrobacter rodentium is a gram negative bacterium, which indicates that it has a thin cell wall. There are no teichoic acids or lipoteichoic acids around the cell wall. However, it is surrounded by an outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharide, which consists of lipid A, core polysaccharide, and O-polysaccharide. Also, porins, which are located in the outer membrane, serves to regulate the molecules coming in and out of the cell.

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

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Edited by student of [mailto:ralarsen@ucsd.edu Rachel Larsen