Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

General Information

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a fascinating microorganism primarily known for its role as a pathogen in animals, particularly in livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses. This bacterium is the causative agent of caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in sheep and goats, and ulcerative lymphangitis in horses. One of the most interesting aspects of C. pseudotuberculosis is its ability to cause chronic infections, which can lead to significant economic losses in the agricultural sector due to decreased productivity and increased veterinary costs. C. pseudotuberculosis is also notable for its production of exotoxins, particularly phospholipase D (PLD), which plays a crucial role in its virulence. PLD facilitates the spread of the bacterium within the host by damaging cell membranes and promoting the formation of abscesses. The study of these exotoxins has provided valuable insights into bacterial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. From a research perspective, C. pseudotuberculosis is intriguing due to its genetic diversity and adaptability. The bacterium exhibits significant genomic plasticity, which allows it to thrive in various environmental conditions and host species. This adaptability is a subject of ongoing research, as understanding the genetic mechanisms behind it could lead to the development of more effective treatments and preventive measures. Additionally, C. pseudotuberculosis has been studied for its potential use in biotechnology. For instance, its ability to produce bioactive compounds and enzymes has been explored for various industrial applications. The bacterium's unique metabolic pathways and enzyme systems make it a valuable model organism for biotechnological research. Overall, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a microorganism of significant interest due to its impact on animal health, its complex virulence mechanisms, and its potential applications in biotechnology. Its study continues to provide important insights into bacterial pathogenesis, host interactions, and microbial adaptability.

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a notable bacterium primarily recognized for its role as a pathogen in livestock, particularly in sheep and goats, where it causes caseous lymphadenitis (CLA). This disease is characterized by the formation of abscesses in lymph nodes and is a significant concern for animal health and agricultural productivity. The ability of C. pseudotuberculosis to survive and persist in the environment contributes to its transmission and the challenges associated with controlling outbreaks. One of the unique aspects of C. pseudotuberculosis is its intracellular lifestyle, which allows it to evade the host's immune response. This characteristic makes it a valuable subject for research into bacterial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. Understanding how this bacterium manipulates host immune responses can provide insights into developing effective vaccines and treatments. Additionally, C. pseudotuberculosis has been studied for its biochemical properties, including its ability to produce phospholipase D, an enzyme that plays a crucial role in its virulence. This enzyme not only aids in tissue invasion but also contributes to the bacterium's ability to cause necrosis in infected tissues. Research into this enzyme has implications for understanding similar mechanisms in other pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, the genetic and molecular biology of C. pseudotuberculosis is of interest, as it has been the subject of genomic studies aimed at identifying virulence factors and potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The insights gained from these studies can enhance our understanding of bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance. Overall, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis serves as an important model organism in veterinary microbiology and infectious disease research, highlighting the intersection of animal health and agricultural economics.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Actinomycetota

Class: Actinomycetes

Order: Mycobacteriales

Family: Corynebacteriaceae

Genus: Corynebacterium

Species: Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis

NCBI ID

1719

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/001/865/765/GCF_001865765.1_ASM186576v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_001865765.1_ASM186576v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The organism Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is primarily known for its role in causing caseous lymphadenitis in sheep and goats, which can lead to significant economic losses in the livestock industry. In humans, it is associated with rare but serious infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The bacterium can cause skin infections, abscesses, and has been implicated in systemic infections following trauma or surgical procedures. One of the notable features of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is its ability to evade the immune response through various mechanisms, including the production of a protective capsule and the secretion of virulence factors that inhibit phagocytosis. This pathogenicity is a concern in both veterinary and human medicine, as it complicates treatment and management of infections. In terms of antimicrobial resistance, there have been reports of resistance to common antibiotics, which poses challenges for effective treatment. This resistance is often attributed to the organism's ability to acquire resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer. While Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is not commonly used in medical applications, understanding its pathogenic mechanisms can inform the development of vaccines and therapeutics aimed at preventing infections in both animals and humans. Overall, the clinical implications of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis highlight the importance of monitoring this organism in both agricultural and clinical settings.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is primarily associated with domestic and wild animal habitats, particularly in the context of livestock and wildlife. This bacterium is known to cause caseous lymphadenitis, a significant disease in sheep and goats, which highlights its role in agricultural ecosystems. The organism thrives in environments where it can easily spread through direct contact or contaminated materials, such as feed and water sources. In terms of ecological niches, C. pseudotuberculosis is often found in soil and fecal matter, where it can persist for extended periods. Its ability to survive in these environments allows it to infect hosts through abrasions or wounds, demonstrating its adaptation to the terrestrial biome. Notably, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis plays a critical role in the dynamics of its ecosystem by influencing the health of livestock populations. The bacterium can lead to significant economic losses in agriculture due to its impact on animal health and productivity. Furthermore, it can engage in symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms in the soil, contributing to nutrient cycling and the overall microbial community structure. Overall, the presence of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis in these biomes underscores its importance in both ecological and agricultural contexts, highlighting the intricate balance between pathogens and their hosts in agricultural ecosystems.

Industrial Application

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The bacterium Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis has several notable industrial applications primarily in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceutical development. This microorganism is known for its role in the production of various enzymes and metabolites that can be harnessed for industrial processes. In biotechnology, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is utilized in the fermentation process to produce valuable compounds such as amino acids, which are essential in the food and feed industries. The ability of this organism to efficiently convert substrates into amino acids makes it a candidate for large-scale production systems. In the realm of pharmaceutical development, this bacterium is studied for its potential in the production of vaccines and therapeutic agents. Its pathogenicity and the immune response it elicits can be leveraged to develop vaccines against related diseases in livestock, which is crucial for agricultural health and productivity. Additionally, Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis has been investigated for its role in biodegradation processes, particularly in the breakdown of complex organic materials. This capability can be applied in waste management, where the bacterium can help in the treatment of organic waste, contributing to more sustainable waste disposal methods. Overall, the diverse metabolic pathways and enzymatic activities of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis position it as a valuable organism in various industrial sectors, particularly in biotechnology, waste management, and pharmaceutical development.

Phenotypes and Predictions

The table shows the phenotypes and predictions. Cell colors indicate the class of the value. When literature-based data is available, a checkmark (✓) indicates a correct prediction, while an ✗ indicates an incorrect prediction.

Literature-based phenotypes: 10

LLM predicted phenotypes: 3

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	google/gemini-flash-1.5	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	google/gemini-pro-1.5	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	google/gemma-7b-it	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	google/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	openchat/openchat-7b	openchat/openchat-7b
Motility	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Gram staining	gram stain positive	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain negative ✗	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain negative ✗	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	aerotolerant ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓
Biosafety level	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	N/A	beta	gamma	beta	beta	N/A	N/A	N/A	beta	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	beta	beta	beta	beta	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	coccus ✗

Back to Search