User talk:Charlat

This student page has not been curated.

Classification

Domain; Bacteria, Phylum; Firmicutes, Class; Bacilli, Order; Bacillales, Family; Bacillaceae, Genus; Bacillus [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]

Species

NCBI: Taxonomy

Genus species

Description and Significance

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.

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, Metabolism and Life Cycle

Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

Bacillus pumilus participates in a wide range of symbiotic relationships. B. pumilus can function as a plant growth promoting rhizobacteria within the rhizosphere of agriculturally significant plants such as red peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum). In wheat, B. pumilus also induces plant resistance to Take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis), a fungal disease which can significantly damage wheat crops. Additionally, B. pumilus is thought to function as a plant growth promoting endophyte in Vitis vinifera grape plants. Penaeus monodon, black tiger shrimp, can host Bacillus pumilus in the gut, where it inhibits infections by Vibrio harveyi, V. alginolyticus, and V. parahaemolyticus, all of which are known to be significant bacterial pathogens of shrimp. B. pumilus is significant to ecosystem biochemistry because it functions as a nitrogen fixing bacteria capable of metabolically transforming molecular nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3). Human infection by Bacillus pumilus is rare, however in 2006 B. pumilus in rice was found to be responsible for 3 cases of food poisoning. The isolated strain produced a complex of lipopeptides called pumilacidins, known to have toxic effects on epithelial cells. The symptoms that resulted from infection included dizziness, headache, chills, back pain, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Furthermore, in 2007 a report summarizing 3 case studies was published concluding that a strain of Bacillus pumilus was responsible for the development of cutaneous lesions morphologically similar to those caused by Bacillus anthracis.

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.

Author

Page authored by Michael Chamberlain, James Chang, and Daniel Charlat, students of Prof. Jay Lennon at Michigan State University.

<-- Do not remove this line-->