Rickettsia rickettsii

From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource

A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Rickettsia rickettsii

Tick hemolymph cells infected with Rickettsia rickettsii. Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever info page from the CDC.

Classification

Classification

Higher order taxa

Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Alpha Proteobacteria; Rickettsiales; Rickettsiaceae; Spotted fever group

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Rickettsia rickettsii

Other Names

synonym: Dermacentroxenus rickettsii
synonym: "Dermacentroxenus rickettsii" Wolbach 1919
synonym: Rickettsia rickettsii (Wolbach 1919) Brumpt 1922

Description and significance

Rickettsia rickettsii is a small, rod-shaped bacterium known to cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). This disease can be transmitted to humans either from a tick bite with an incubation period of 1 week, or by contamination of a cut on the skin or a wound with ticks feces. Dr. Ricketts first isolated this microbe in Montana, 1906. [2] [4]

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Genome structure

Genes: 1311 Length: 1,257,710 nt Protein coding: 1311 Structural RNAs: None GC Content: 32% % Coding: 77% Pseudo genes: None Topology: other Molecule: DNA Completed 02/06/2004[3]

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Cell structure and metabolism

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Ecology

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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

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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.


1) NCBI Taxonomy Browser "Rickettsia Rickettsii" Retrieved 26 August, 2007

Edited by Amber Chou; student of Rachel Larsen