Shewanella morhuae

General Information

Shewanella morhuae is a fascinating microorganism primarily known for its unique ability to reduce a wide range of metal ions, making it a subject of significant interest in the field of bioremediation. This bacterium was originally isolated from the skin of the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), which hints at its adaptability to cold marine environments. One of the most intriguing aspects of S. morhuae is its capability to utilize various electron acceptors, including nitrate, fumarate, and even insoluble metal oxides, during anaerobic respiration. This versatility in metabolic pathways not only underscores its ecological importance but also its potential utility in environmental cleanup processes, particularly in the detoxification of heavy metals and radionuclides. Another noteworthy feature of Shewanella morhuae is its production of extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanisms, which facilitate the reduction of external substrates. This characteristic is particularly valuable in the development of microbial fuel cells, where the bacterium's ability to transfer electrons to an electrode can be harnessed to generate electricity from organic waste. Moreover, S. morhuae exhibits a remarkable ability to thrive in low-temperature environments, which is of great interest for studying psychrophilic adaptations. The enzymes and proteins of this bacterium are adapted to function efficiently at lower temperatures, providing insights into protein stability and function under cold conditions. This makes Shewanella morhuae a valuable model organism for biotechnological applications that require robust performance in cold environments. In summary, Shewanella morhuae stands out due to its metal-reducing capabilities, extracellular electron transfer mechanisms, and adaptation to cold environments, making it a microorganism of considerable interest for both environmental and industrial applications.

Shewanella morhuae is a fascinating marine bacterium that was first isolated from the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). This organism is particularly interesting due to its capability to reduce a variety of metals, including iron and manganese, which plays a significant role in biogeochemical cycling in marine environments. Its unique metabolic pathways allow it to thrive in anoxic conditions, making it a valuable model for studying microbial ecology in marine sediments. One of the standout features of Shewanella morhuae is its ability to utilize a wide range of electron acceptors, which includes not only metals but also organic compounds. This versatility makes it an important organism for research into bioremediation, as it can potentially be used to clean up environments contaminated with heavy metals. Additionally, Shewanella morhuae has garnered attention for its potential applications in bioenergy. The organism's electron transfer mechanisms are being studied for their implications in the development of microbial fuel cells, where bacteria can convert organic matter into electricity. Furthermore, the genomic analysis of Shewanella morhuae reveals a rich repertoire of genes associated with stress response and adaptation, which can provide insights into how microorganisms survive in fluctuating marine environments. This adaptability not only highlights the organism's ecological significance but also its potential as a model organism for understanding microbial responses to environmental changes. In summary, Shewanella morhuae stands out due to its metal-reducing capabilities, versatility in electron acceptor usage, and potential applications in bioremediation and bioenergy, making it a valuable subject for ongoing research in microbiology and environmental science.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Alteromonadales

Family: Shewanellaceae

Genus: Shewanella

Species: Shewanella morhuae

NCBI ID

365591

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/900/156/405/GCA_900156405.1_IMG-taxon_2681812898_annotated_assembly

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_900156405.1_IMG-taxon_2681812898_annotated_assembly_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The organism Shewanella morhuae is a gram-negative bacterium primarily associated with marine environments, particularly in cold waters. While it is not commonly recognized as a significant human pathogen, it has been implicated in certain clinical scenarios, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Clinical implications of Shewanella morhuae include its potential role in infections such as wound infections and bacteremia, especially in individuals with underlying health conditions. The organism's ability to thrive in low-oxygen environments suggests it may contribute to infections in specific niches within the human body, although documented cases remain limited. One notable aspect of Shewanella morhuae is its antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. It has been observed to exhibit resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, which poses challenges in treatment options for infections. This resistance is often attributed to the presence of efflux pumps and the ability to form biofilms, which can protect the bacteria from both the host immune response and antimicrobial agents. In terms of immune evasion, Shewanella morhuae may utilize various strategies to avoid detection and destruction by the host's immune system, although specific mechanisms are not well-characterized. Its environmental adaptability and potential for pathogenicity underscore the need for further research to fully understand its role in human health and disease. Currently, there are no established medical applications such as probiotics or vaccines associated with Shewanella morhuae, but its presence in clinical settings warrants attention, particularly in the context of emerging infections and the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Shewanella morhuae 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 morhuae 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, Shewanella morhuae has been studied for its capacity to ferment organic materials, producing hydrogen gas as a byproduct. This process can be harnessed in anaerobic digestion systems, where organic waste is converted into renewable energy sources, contributing to sustainable energy solutions. Furthermore, Shewanella morhuae is recognized for its role in pharmaceutical development. The organism's enzymatic activities can be exploited for the production of bioactive compounds, which may lead to the discovery of new drugs or therapeutic agents. Its ability to degrade complex organic compounds also positions it as a candidate for enzyme production, where specific enzymes can be harvested for use in various biochemical applications. Overall, the diverse metabolic pathways and capabilities of Shewanella morhuae make it a promising candidate for advancing technologies in waste management, biofuel production, and pharmaceutical development, showcasing its versatility and importance in modern industrial processes.

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/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro-1.5	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	openchat/openchat-7b	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	google/gemma-7b-it	google/gemma-7b-it	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 ✓	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 ✓	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 ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	N/A	N/A	N/A	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	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	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	true
Animal pathogenicity	N/A	true	false	true	false	true	false	true	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	false	true	true	true	true	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 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	false	false	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	FALSE	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	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 ✓	true ✗	true ✗	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 ✓	false ✓
Hemolysis	N/A	alpha	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	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 ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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