Shewanella ulleungensis

General Information

Shewanella ulleungensis is a fascinating microorganism that has garnered attention due to its unique metabolic capabilities and ecological significance. This bacterium was first isolated from deep-sea sediments in the Ulleung Basin, located in the East Sea of Korea, which highlights its ability to thrive in extreme environments. One of the most remarkable features of S. ulleungensis is its ability to reduce a wide range of electron acceptors, including metals and organic compounds. This makes it a valuable organism for bioremediation, particularly in environments contaminated with heavy metals or other pollutants. Another intriguing aspect of Shewanella ulleungensis is its role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Its metabolic versatility allows it to participate in various redox processes, contributing to the overall health and stability of its native ecosystems. Additionally, the bacterium's ability to produce extracellular electron transfer proteins, such as cytochromes, is of significant interest for bioelectrochemical applications, including microbial fuel cells and biosensors. From a research perspective, S. ulleungensis serves as a model organism for studying microbial adaptation to extreme environments and the mechanisms underlying its metabolic flexibility. Its genome has been sequenced, providing valuable insights into the genetic basis of its unique capabilities. The study of Shewanella ulleungensis not only enhances our understanding of microbial ecology and evolution but also opens up potential avenues for biotechnological innovations aimed at environmental sustainability and energy production.

Shewanella ulleungensis is a fascinating marine bacterium that was first isolated from deep-sea sediment in the Ulleung Basin of the East Sea. This organism is particularly interesting due to its remarkable metabolic versatility, which allows it to thrive in various environments, including anoxic conditions. One of the most notable features of S. ulleungensis is its ability to reduce a wide range of electron acceptors, including metals and other compounds, making it a valuable organism for bioremediation studies. The species is also known for its unique electron transfer capabilities, which are of great interest in bioenergy research. S. ulleungensis can utilize solid-phase electron acceptors, such as iron oxides, which positions it as a potential candidate for bioenergy applications, particularly in microbial fuel cells. Additionally, this bacterium has been studied for its potential in biogeochemical cycling, particularly in the context of carbon and nitrogen cycles in marine environments. Its ability to degrade complex organic materials contributes to nutrient recycling in oceanic ecosystems. Furthermore, Shewanella ulleungensis has been recognized for its genetic and biochemical diversity, which provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations of microorganisms in extreme environments. The genomic analysis of this species reveals a wealth of information about its metabolic pathways and regulatory mechanisms, making it a valuable model organism for microbiological and ecological research. Overall, S. ulleungensis stands out as a significant player in marine microbiology, with implications for environmental science and biotechnology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Alteromonadales

Family: Shewanellaceae

Genus: Shewanella

Species: Shewanella ulleungensis

NCBI ID

2282699

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/014/648/315/GCA_014648315.1_ASM1464831v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_014648315.1_ASM1464831v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The microorganism Shewanella ulleungensis is a gram-negative bacterium that has garnered attention due to its potential clinical implications. It is primarily known for its role in marine environments, but its presence in human health contexts is becoming increasingly recognized. This organism has been associated with infections in immunocompromised patients, particularly in cases of wound infections and bacteremia. The pathogenicity of S. ulleungensis is attributed to its ability to produce various virulence factors, which can facilitate tissue invasion and immune evasion strategies, allowing it to persist in the host despite an active immune response. Moreover, S. ulleungensis has shown a degree of antimicrobial resistance, particularly to commonly used antibiotics, which poses a challenge in clinical settings. This resistance is often linked to the presence of specific resistance genes that can be transferred between bacterial species, complicating treatment options for infections caused by this organism. Interestingly, some strains of Shewanella species, including S. ulleungensis, have been explored for their potential as probiotics due to their ability to produce beneficial metabolites. However, the clinical application of S. ulleungensis as a probiotic is still under investigation and requires further research to establish safety and efficacy. In summary, while Shewanella ulleungensis is primarily recognized in environmental contexts, its emerging role in human health, particularly in infections and antimicrobial resistance, highlights the need for continued surveillance and research to better understand its clinical relevance.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Shewanella ulleungensis is a marine bacterium primarily found in coastal and deep-sea environments. This microorganism thrives in marine sediments and seawater, particularly in areas with high organic matter content. Its ecological niche is often associated with anaerobic conditions, where it plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements such as sulfur and iron. In these environments, Shewanella ulleungensis is known for its ability to reduce metal ions, contributing to the detoxification of heavy metals and the mineralization of organic compounds. This process not only aids in nutrient cycling but also supports the overall health of the marine ecosystem. Furthermore, Shewanella ulleungensis exhibits notable interactions with other microorganisms, often engaging in symbiotic relationships that enhance nutrient availability and energy transfer within the microbial community. Its adaptability to varying salinity and temperature conditions allows it to thrive in diverse marine habitats, making it an important player in the dynamics of marine biomes.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Shewanella ulleungensis has shown significant potential in various industrial applications due to its unique metabolic capabilities. One of the most notable areas is in biotechnology, where S. ulleungensis is utilized in bioremediation processes. This organism can reduce metal ions, such as manganese and iron, which is crucial for the detoxification of contaminated environments. Its ability to transfer electrons to metals makes it a valuable agent in the cleanup of heavy metal pollutants in industrial waste. In the realm of biofuel production, S. ulleungensis has been studied for its capacity to ferment organic substrates, leading to the generation of biohydrogen. This process involves fermentation, where the microorganism converts organic matter into hydrogen gas, a clean fuel alternative. The efficiency of this process can be enhanced by optimizing growth conditions, making it a promising avenue for sustainable energy solutions. Furthermore, S. ulleungensis is also recognized for its role in pharmaceutical development. The organism produces various enzymes that can be harnessed for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. These enzymes are involved in enzyme production, which can facilitate the development of new drugs and therapeutic agents. Additionally, its application in waste management is noteworthy. S. ulleungensis can effectively degrade organic pollutants, contributing to waste treatment processes that aim to reduce environmental impact. By utilizing its metabolic pathways, this microorganism can help in the breakdown of complex organic materials, thus improving waste management strategies. Overall, Shewanella ulleungensis stands out as a versatile microorganism with promising applications across multiple industries, particularly in biotechnology, biofuel production, pharmaceutical development, and waste management.

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: 8

LLM predicted phenotypes: 5

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	google/gemma-7b-it	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	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	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-flash-1.5	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/gemini-pro-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	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	aerobic	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	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
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	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	N/A	true	false	false	false	false	false	true	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false
Biosafety level	biosafety level 1	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	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 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	false	false	false	true	false	true	false	false	false	false	false	true	true	false	false	false	false	false	false	true	true	true	true
Host association	N/A	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	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	alpha	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	gamma	gamma	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 ✓	spirillum ✗	spirillum ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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