| Description: |
Shewanella are facultatively anaerobic, Gram-negative bacteria, motile by polar flagella, rod-like, and generally associated with aquatic or marine environments. They are capable of using a variety of compounds as electron acceptors, including oxygen, iron, manganese, uranium, nitrate, nitrite, fumarate, to name but a few. This ability makes Shewanella important for bioremediation of contaminated metals and radioactive wastes. The genus Shewanella comprises 36 recognized and hundreds of uncharacterized cultivable species. Shewanella pealeana ATCC 700345 was originally isolated from the Atlantic squid for their capacity to respire on sulfur. This bacterium was able to degrade hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and was closely related to RDX-mineralizing bacterium S. halifaxensis. RDX is a member of a family of nitramine compounds which are used in the production of explosives. Genome sequencing of the present strain together with S. halifaxensis will help determine the genetic process responsible for RDX degradation. On the other hand, Shewanella are ubiquitous in marine environment and play very important role in global carbon and nitrogen cycle. The present strain is moderately halophilic, requiring sodium ions for growth. It can live at low temperatures and by reducing heavy metals Mn (IV) and Fe (III) and non-metal electron acceptors such as sulfur, fumarate, trimethylamine- N -oxide (TMAO), and thiosulfate. Genome sequencing and comparative genomics will unlock the genes involved in metabolism of carbon, nitrogen, metal, and sulfur in marine environment. Comparative genomics will also provide insight into how marine bacteria evolve to adapt to cold and salty marine environment. Also, it is involved in marine carbon and nitrogen metabolism. |
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