Xenorhabdus miraniensis

General Information

Xenorhabdus miraniensis is a fascinating bacterium primarily known for its symbiotic relationship with entomopathogenic nematodes, specifically those in the genus Steinernema. This relationship is particularly interesting because it plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of the nematodes, aiding in the infection and subsequent killing of insect hosts. One of the most remarkable features of X. miraniensis is its ability to produce a wide array of bioactive compounds, including antibiotics, enzymes, and secondary metabolites that are toxic to insects. These compounds not only help in overcoming the host's immune defenses but also in creating a suitable environment for the nematodes to reproduce. From a research perspective, X. miraniensis is valuable due to its potential applications in biological pest control. The bacterium's natural insecticidal properties make it a candidate for developing eco-friendly pesticides, which could reduce the reliance on chemical insecticides and mitigate their environmental impact. Additionally, the study of its symbiotic mechanisms and bioactive compounds can provide insights into novel antimicrobial agents, which are of significant interest given the rising concern over antibiotic resistance. Another unique aspect of X. miraniensis is its complex life cycle and the ability to switch between mutualistic and pathogenic phases depending on its environment and the presence of the nematode host. This adaptability makes it an excellent model organism for studying microbial symbiosis, host-pathogen interactions, and the evolution of mutualistic relationships. In summary, Xenorhabdus miraniensis stands out due to its symbiotic relationship with nematodes, its production of bioactive compounds with potential applications in pest control and medicine, and its adaptability in different environmental contexts. These characteristics make it a subject of considerable interest in microbiological and biotechnological research.*

Xenorhabdus miraniensis is a fascinating species of bacteria that belongs to the genus Xenorhabdus, which is known for its symbiotic relationship with nematodes, particularly those in the genus Steinernema. This association is particularly interesting because it plays a crucial role in the biological control of insect pests. The bacteria are typically found in the gut of these nematodes, where they are released into the host insect upon infection, leading to the insect's death and providing nutrients for the nematodes and bacteria alike. One of the unique aspects of X. miraniensis is its ability to produce a variety of bioactive compounds, including antibiotics and other secondary metabolites. These compounds have garnered attention for their potential applications in agriculture and medicine, particularly in the development of new antimicrobial agents. The study of these metabolites can provide insights into novel mechanisms of action against resistant strains of pathogens. Additionally, X. miraniensis has been noted for its ability to degrade various organic compounds, which may have implications for bioremediation efforts. This characteristic makes it a valuable organism for research in environmental microbiology, as it could potentially be harnessed to clean up contaminated sites. Overall, the ecological role of X. miraniensis in pest control, its production of bioactive compounds, and its potential for bioremediation underscore its significance in both agricultural and environmental research. Its interactions with nematodes also provide a model for studying symbiotic relationships in microbial ecology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Enterobacterales

Family: Morganellaceae

Genus: Xenorhabdus

Species: Xenorhabdus miraniensis

NCBI ID

351674

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/002/632/615/GCF_002632615.1_ASM263261v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_002632615.1_ASM263261v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The bacterium Xenorhabdus miraniensis is a member of the genus Xenorhabdus, which is known for its symbiotic relationship with nematodes and its potential implications in human health. While X. miraniensis is primarily studied for its role in the biocontrol of insect pests, its clinical relevance is emerging, particularly in the context of infections and pathogenicity associated with its interactions with human tissues. Clinical implications include: - Pathogenicity: X. miraniensis has been implicated in cases of soft tissue infections and wound infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Its ability to produce a variety of virulence factors, including toxins and enzymes, contributes to its pathogenic potential. - Immune evasion strategies: This organism can evade the immune response through the production of factors that inhibit phagocytosis and modulate inflammatory responses, allowing it to persist in host tissues. - Antimicrobial resistance: There is growing concern regarding the antimicrobial resistance of X. miraniensis, particularly in the context of its use in agricultural settings, which may lead to the development of resistant strains that could affect human health. - Medical applications: Research is ongoing into the potential use of X. miraniensis and its metabolites in the development of novel therapeutics, including antimicrobial agents and probiotics, due to its unique biochemical properties. Overall, while X. miraniensis is not yet widely recognized as a significant human pathogen, its emerging role in infections and potential for antimicrobial resistance warrant further investigation to fully understand its clinical implications.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Xenorhabdus miraniensis is a species of bacteria that is primarily associated with the soil biome, particularly in environments where it interacts with nematodes. This microorganism thrives in agricultural soils and decaying organic matter, where it plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling and organic decomposition. Its ecological niche is often linked to the presence of its symbiotic partner, the nematode Steinernema, which serves as a vector for the bacteria. In these environments, Xenorhabdus miraniensis exhibits pathogenicity towards various insect larvae, making it an important biological control agent in agriculture. The bacteria produce a range of bioactive compounds that can inhibit the growth of competing microorganisms and deter herbivores, thus enhancing its survival and proliferation in the soil ecosystem. Additionally, this bacterium is known for its ability to adapt to varying soil moisture and temperature conditions, allowing it to thrive in diverse habitats. Its interactions with the nematodes not only facilitate its dispersal but also contribute to the overall health of the soil biome by promoting the breakdown of organic materials and recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. Overall, Xenorhabdus miraniensis exemplifies the intricate relationships within the soil microbiome and its significant role in maintaining ecological balance.

Industrial Application

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

The bacterium Xenorhabdus miraniensis has shown significant potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology, waste management, and pharmaceutical development. This microorganism is known for its role in biodegradation, where it can break down complex organic materials, making it valuable in waste treatment processes. Its ability to degrade pollutants can be harnessed in the treatment of contaminated soils and water, contributing to environmental sustainability. In the realm of biofuel production, Xenorhabdus miraniensis can be involved in fermentation processes that convert biomass into biofuels. The metabolic pathways utilized by this bacterium can be optimized to enhance the yield of bioethanol or biogas, providing a renewable energy source. Moreover, Xenorhabdus miraniensis has been studied for its pharmaceutical applications, particularly in the production of bioactive compounds. The secondary metabolites produced by this organism have demonstrated antimicrobial and insecticidal properties, making it a candidate for developing new drugs and biopesticides. The enzymatic activity of Xenorhabdus miraniensis also plays a crucial role in these processes, as it can produce enzymes that facilitate the breakdown of complex substrates, enhancing the efficiency of biotechnological processes. Overall, the diverse capabilities of Xenorhabdus miraniensis in biodegradation, fermentation, and enzyme production highlight its importance in advancing sustainable practices across multiple industries.

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	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	google/gemini-pro	google/gemma-7b-it	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	openchat/openchat-7b	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b
Motility	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 ✓
Gram staining	gram stain negative	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	aerotolerant ✗	aerotolerant ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	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	true
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓
Biosafety level	biosafety level 1	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true
Host association	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	N/A	beta	beta	beta	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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