Shewanella baltica

General Information

Shewanella baltica is a fascinating microorganism primarily known for its remarkable ability to reduce a wide range of metal ions. This characteristic makes it particularly valuable in bioremediation efforts, where it can be used to detoxify environments contaminated with heavy metals. One of the most intriguing aspects of S. baltica is its capacity to utilize various electron acceptors, including nitrate, fumarate, and even insoluble metal oxides, which is relatively rare among bacteria. Another unique feature of S. baltica is its adaptability to cold environments. It is often isolated from marine environments, particularly in the Baltic Sea, where temperatures can be quite low. This psychrophilic nature allows it to thrive and remain metabolically active in conditions that would inhibit many other microorganisms. From a research perspective, S. baltica is also notable for its genomic plasticity. The genome of S. baltica contains numerous genes that encode for various cytochromes, which are essential for its diverse respiratory capabilities. This genetic diversity not only underscores its metabolic versatility but also provides a rich resource for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying metal reduction and electron transport. In summary, Shewanella baltica is a microorganism of significant interest due to its metal-reducing capabilities, cold-environment adaptability, and genomic diversity, making it a valuable model for studies in bioremediation, environmental microbiology, and microbial physiology.

Shewanella baltica is a fascinating marine bacterium known for its remarkable metabolic versatility and ability to thrive in cold environments. This organism is particularly interesting due to its capacity to reduce a variety of electron acceptors, including metals and other compounds, which makes it a valuable player in biogeochemical cycles, especially in marine sediments. Its unique ability to utilize alternative electron acceptors allows it to survive in anoxic conditions, contributing to the degradation of organic matter in marine ecosystems. One of the standout features of S. baltica is its production of extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanisms, which enable it to transfer electrons to solid substrates, such as metal oxides. This characteristic is not only crucial for its survival in nutrient-limited environments but also has significant implications for bioremediation strategies, particularly in the detoxification of heavy metals and other pollutants in marine and freshwater systems. Additionally, S. baltica has garnered attention in the field of bioenergy research due to its potential in bioelectrochemical systems. The organism's ability to generate electricity through microbial fuel cells (MFCs) highlights its potential for sustainable energy production. Researchers are exploring its applications in developing renewable energy technologies, making it a subject of interest in both environmental and energy research. Furthermore, S. baltica is known for its unique enzymatic capabilities, including the production of catalytic enzymes that can degrade complex organic compounds. This feature positions it as a candidate for biotechnological applications in waste treatment and bioconversion processes. Overall, Shewanella baltica stands out as a model organism for studying microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and potential applications in environmental biotechnology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Alteromonadales

Family: Shewanellaceae

Genus: Shewanella

Species: Shewanella baltica

NCBI ID

62322

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/037/094/655/GCF_037094655.1_Shew_sp_01_v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_037094655.1_Shew_sp_01_v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The organism Shewanella baltica is a gram-negative bacterium primarily found in marine environments, but it has significant clinical implications due to its potential pathogenicity in humans. It is known to be associated with wound infections and bacteremia, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems or underlying health conditions. The organism can produce a variety of virulence factors, which contribute to its ability to evade the immune response and establish infections. One of the notable aspects of Shewanella baltica is its antimicrobial resistance. It has been documented to exhibit resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, which complicates treatment options for infections. This resistance is often attributed to the presence of plasmids that carry resistance genes, making it a concern in clinical settings, especially in patients with chronic wounds or those requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy. In addition to its pathogenic potential, Shewanella baltica has been studied for its possible applications in biotechnology, particularly in bioremediation and bioenergy production. However, its role in human health remains a critical area of research, especially regarding its interactions with the human microbiome and its potential as an opportunistic pathogen. Overall, while Shewanella baltica is primarily recognized for its environmental presence, its implications in human health, particularly in terms of infections, antimicrobial resistance, and potential therapeutic applications, warrant further investigation.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Shewanella baltica is a versatile marine bacterium commonly found in coastal and estuarine environments. This microorganism thrives in sediment-rich habitats where it plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycling of organic matter and nutrients. Its ability to reduce metals and utilize a variety of electron acceptors makes it an important player in anaerobic processes within these ecosystems. In particular, S. baltica is often associated with marine sediments, where it contributes to the degradation of organic materials, thus facilitating nutrient recycling. This bacterium exhibits a remarkable capacity for symbiotic relationships, often interacting with other microorganisms and contributing to the overall health of the microbial community. Additionally, S. baltica has been documented in polar marine environments, showcasing its adaptability to extreme conditions. Its presence in these cold waters highlights its role in cold-adapted microbial communities, where it participates in the degradation of organic matter in low-temperature conditions. Overall, Shewanella baltica is a key organism in marine biomes, influencing nutrient dynamics and supporting diverse ecological interactions, making it essential for maintaining the balance of these complex ecosystems.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Shewanella baltica has shown significant potential in various industrial applications due to its unique metabolic capabilities. One of the most notable areas is in biotechnology, where Shewanella baltica is utilized in bioremediation processes. This organism can reduce metal ions, such as manganese and iron, which is particularly useful in the treatment of contaminated environments, helping to detoxify heavy metals and improve soil and water quality. In the realm of biofuel production, Shewanella baltica is recognized for its ability to ferment a variety of substrates, including organic waste materials. This fermentation process can lead to the production of bioethanol and other biofuels, contributing to sustainable energy solutions. The organism's capacity to utilize complex carbohydrates makes it a valuable asset in the conversion of biomass into energy. Furthermore, Shewanella baltica has been studied for its role in pharmaceutical development. Its enzymatic activities can be harnessed for the production of bioactive compounds, which may have therapeutic applications. The organism's ability to produce various enzymes can facilitate the synthesis of pharmaceuticals through enzyme production processes. Additionally, Shewanella baltica is involved in waste management strategies, particularly in the treatment of wastewater. Its metabolic pathways allow for the degradation of organic pollutants, making it an effective agent in the treatment of industrial effluents and municipal waste. Overall, the diverse capabilities of Shewanella baltica in fermentation, biodegradation, and enzyme production highlight its importance across multiple industries, paving the way for innovative solutions in environmental management, energy production, and healthcare.

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: 9

LLM predicted phenotypes: 4

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

Back to Search