Erwinia carotovora
A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Erwinia carotovora
Classification
Higher order taxa
Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Proteobacteria Class: Gammaproteobacteria Order: Enterobacteriales Family: Enterobacteriaceae Genus: Erwinia Species: carotovora
Species
Erwinia amylovora; Erwinia aphidicola; Erwinia billingiae; Erwinia carotovora; Erwinia chrysantum; Erwinia mallotivora; Erwinia papayae; Erwinia persicina; Erwinia psidii; Erwinia pyrifoliae; Erwinia rhapontici; Erwinia toletana; Erwinia tracheiphila
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Genus species
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.
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?
Genome analysis of Erwinia carotovora indicates that this organism not only fixes nitrogen but also catabolize plant-produced opines. Along with all six of the known secretion systems, the chromosome also encodes a sizeable collection of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes such as pectinases. This signifies the bactium's ability produce pathogenicity determinants such as the aforementioned degradative enzymes and avirulence proteins. Disruption of the type IV secretion system affected virulence, which suggests this does not simply reflect an integrated plasmid in the chromosome.
Cell structure and metabolism
Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces. Erwinia Carotovora is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that lives alone or aggregates into pairs and chains. Non-sporeforming and peritrichously flagellated, it is a facultative anaerobe that is catalase negative and oxidase positive. As a mesophilic bacterium, E. carotovora thrives the most in the temperature range of 27 to 30 degrees Celsius.
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.
Erwinia carotovora is a plant pathogen that causes cell death through plant cell wall destruction by creating an osmotically fragile cell through the production of extracellular pectic enzymes and cellulase that break down integrity of the pectin and degrades cellulose. This organism causes soft-rot diseases of many plants, including potatoes through plant to plant infection, insect to plant infection and water to plant infection.
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 In the recent article "Genome sequence of the enterobacterial phytopathogen Erwinia carotovora subsp. atroseptica and characterization of virulence factors.", it was discovered that organism responsible for blackleg and soft-rot disease in potatoes, Erwinia Carotovora, demonstrates unexpected metabolic traits such as nitrogen fixation and opine catabolism. The proportion of genes responsible for the aforementioned features also encoded pathogenic determinants which were possibly aquired through horizontally transfered gene clusters of type IV secretion and polyketide phytotoxin synthesis.
References
Wood, M. 1998. Ubi7-new tool for potato breeders. Agricultural Research/January 1998, pp. 12-13.
