Yersinia pestis CO92

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A Microbial Biorealm page on the genus Yersinia pestis CO92

Classification

Domain; Phylum; Class; Order; family; genus; species [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]

Bacteria; Proteobacteria; Gammaproteobacteria; Enterobacteriales; Enterobacteriaceae; Yersinia; Yersinia pestis

Description and significance

Describe the disease caused by this organism if it is a pathogen, or the natural macroscopic "field guide" appearance and habitat of your organism if it is not. What is or has been the impact your organism on human history or our environment?. How does it do this? How have we harnessed this power, or tried to prevent it? In other words, how do you know it if you see it, and how does its presence influence humans in the present, and historically?

The Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the systemic invasive infectious disease classically referred to as the plague and it has been responsible for human pandemics. The specific strain of Yersinia pestis CO92 has been studied for its possible role in biological warfare.

Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes and plasmids? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?

The complete genome sequence of Y. pestis strain CO92, consisting of a 4.65-megabase (Mb) chromosome and three plasmids of 96.2 kilobases (kb), 70.3 kb and 9.6 kb. The genome is unusually rich in insertion sequences and displays anomalies in GC base-composition bias, indicating frequent intragenomic recombination. Many genes seem to have been acquired from other bacteria and viruses (including adhesins, secretion systems and insecticidal toxins). The genome contains around 150 pseudogenes, many of which are remnants of a redundant enteropathogenic lifestyle. The evidence of ongoing genome fluidity, expansion and decay suggests Y. pestis is a pathogen that has undergone large-scale genetic flux and provides a unique insight into the ways in which new and highly virulent pathogens evolve.

Cell structure, metabolism & life cycle

Provide a physical and biochemical description of the organism. What kind of organism is it, what does it look like, how is it built, what are its metabolic properties, how can it be identified, what is it's life cycle, &c. In other words, describe the organism from its perspective.

Ecology (including pathogenesis)

Describe its habitat, symbiosis, and contributions to environment. If it is a pathogen, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Describe virulence factors and patient symptoms.

Interesting feature

Describe in detail one particularly interesting aspect of your organism or it's affect on humans or the environment.

References

Parkhill, J., Wren, B.W., Thomson, N.R., Titball, R.W., Holden, M.T., Prentice, M.B., Sebaihia, M., James, K.D., Churcher, C., Mungall, K.L., Baker, S., Basham, D., Bentley, S.D., Brooks, K., Cerdeno-Tarraga, A.M., Chillingworth, T., Cronin, A., Davies, R.M., Davis, P., Dougan, G., Feltwell, T., Hamlin, N., Holroyd, S., Jagels, K., Karlyshev, A.V., Leather, S., Moule, S., Oyston, P.C., Quail, M., Rutherford, K., Simmonds, M., Skelton, J., Stevens, K., Whitehead, S., and Barrell, B.G. "Genome sequence of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague." Nature (2001) 413:523-527