Shimwellia blattae

Shimwellia blattae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Kingdom:	Pseudomonadati
Phylum:	Pseudomonadota
Class:	Gammaproteobacteria
Order:	Enterobacterales
Family:	Enterobacteriaceae
Genus:	Shimwellia
Species:	S. blattae
Binomial name
Shimwellia blattae (Burgess et al. 1973) Priest and Barker 2010, comb. nov. [1]
Synonyms
Escherichia blattaeBurgess 1973

Shimwellia blattae (formerly Escherichia blattae) is a species of bacterium, one of two in the genus Shimwellia . It is an aerobic enteric bacterium first isolated from the hindgut of cockroaches. Although it is related to human pathogens, including Escherichia coli , S. blattae is not pathogenic to humans. ^[2] It is notable for its ability to synthesize vitamin B12 de novo. ^[3]

History and taxonomy

The bacterium was first described in 1973 under the name Escherichia blattae after isolation from the hindgut of the cockroach species Blatta orientalis . ^[4] It was reclassified in the genus Shimwellia based on phylogenetic analyses of its genome sequence. ^[5]

Genome

The genome of S. blattae is about 4.2 megabases in size, slightly smaller than similar enteric bacteria found in humans. It has 56.5% GC content, significantly higher than E. coli . Genomic analysis suggests that the ability of S. blattae to synthesize vitamin B12 has its origins in horizontal gene transfer. ^[2]

References

1. "Shimwellia". List of prokaryotic names with standing in nomenclature. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
2. Brzuszkiewicz, E.; Waschkowitz, T.; Wiezer, A.; Daniel, R. (27 July 2012). "Complete Genome Sequence of the B12-Producing Shimwellia blattae Strain DSM 4481, Isolated from a Cockroach". Journal of Bacteriology. 194 (16): 4436. doi:10.1128/JB.00829-12. PMC   3416266 . PMID   22843577.
3. Andres, Sönke; Wiezer, Arnim; Bendfeldt, Hanna; Waschkowitz, Tanja; Toeche-Mittler, Caroline; Daniel, Rolf (2004). "Insights into the Genome of the Enteric Bacterium Escherichia blattae: Cobalamin (B₁₂) Biosynthesis, B₁₂-Dependent Reactions, and Inactivation of the Gene Region Encoding B₁₂-Dependent Glycerol Dehydratase by a New Mu-Like Prophage". Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology. 8 (3): 150–168. doi:10.1159/000085788. PMID   16088217. S2CID   39468724.
4. Burgess, N. R. H.; McDermott, S. N.; Whiting, J. (March 1973). "Aerobic bacteria occurring in the hind-gut of the cockroach, Blatta orientalis". Journal of Hygiene. 71 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1017/S0022172400046155. PMC   2130441 . PMID   4571611.
5. Priest, F. G.; Barker, M. (6 August 2009). "Gram-negative bacteria associated with brewery yeasts: reclassification of Obesumbacterium proteus biogroup 2 as Shimwellia pseudoproteus gen. nov., sp. nov., and transfer of Escherichia blattae to Shimwellia blattae comb. nov". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 60 (4): 828–833. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.013458-0 . PMID   19661513.