Elizabethkingia miricola

General Information

Elizabethkingia miricola is a bacterium that has garnered significant interest due to its unique characteristics and potential implications in both clinical and environmental contexts. This microorganism was first isolated from the condensation water of the Russian space station Mir, which underscores its ability to survive in extreme and unusual environments. One of the most intriguing aspects of E. miricola is its resistance to multiple antibiotics, making it a subject of concern in healthcare settings. This resistance poses challenges for treatment and highlights the need for ongoing research into novel antimicrobial strategies. Additionally, E. miricola has been found in various environmental sources, including water and soil, indicating its adaptability and ecological versatility. This adaptability is of particular interest to researchers studying microbial survival mechanisms and the potential for bioremediation applications. From a genomic perspective, E. miricola possesses a relatively large genome with a high G+C content, which may contribute to its resilience and ability to acquire resistance genes. The study of its genome can provide insights into the genetic basis of its antibiotic resistance and environmental adaptability. In summary, Elizabethkingia miricola is a bacterium of significant interest due to its antibiotic resistance, environmental adaptability, and the unique context of its initial discovery. Ongoing research into this organism could yield valuable information for both clinical microbiology and environmental science.*

Elizabethkingia miricola is a notable member of the genus Elizabethkingia, which is recognized for its environmental versatility and potential pathogenicity. This bacterium was first isolated from a freshwater environment, highlighting its ecological significance and adaptability to various habitats. One of the most interesting aspects of E. miricola is its ability to thrive in diverse conditions, which makes it a valuable organism for studying microbial ecology and environmental microbiology. The organism has garnered attention due to its unique metabolic capabilities, particularly its ability to degrade complex organic compounds, which positions it as a potential candidate for bioremediation efforts. This characteristic is particularly valuable in the context of environmental cleanup, where the breakdown of pollutants is crucial. Furthermore, E. miricola has been implicated in human infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, making it a subject of interest in clinical microbiology. Its resistance to multiple antibiotics poses challenges in treatment, thus providing a critical area for research into antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Understanding how E. miricola interacts with the human host and its potential virulence factors can contribute to the broader field of infectious disease research. In summary, Elizabethkingia miricola stands out due to its ecological versatility, potential for bioremediation, and relevance in clinical settings, making it a multifaceted organism worthy of further investigation in both environmental and medical microbiology.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Bacteroidota

Class: Flavobacteriia

Order: Flavobacteriales

Family: Weeksellaceae

Genus: Elizabethkingia

Species: Elizabethkingia miricola

NCBI ID

172045

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/034/509/165/GCF_034509165.1_ASM3450916v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_034509165.1_ASM3450916v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The bacterium Elizabethkingia miricola is a member of the genus Elizabethkingia, which has gained attention due to its association with various clinical implications. This organism is primarily known for its role in infections in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with underlying health conditions such as cancer or chronic lung disease. It has been implicated in nosocomial infections, often affecting patients in intensive care units. The clinical relevance of E. miricola is underscored by its potential to cause bacteremia, pneumonia, and meningitis, especially in vulnerable populations. One of the significant concerns regarding E. miricola is its antimicrobial resistance. This organism exhibits resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, including beta-lactams, which complicates treatment options. The presence of such resistance mechanisms poses a challenge in clinical settings, necessitating the need for careful antibiotic stewardship and the development of alternative therapeutic strategies. In terms of immune evasion, E. miricola has been shown to possess various strategies that allow it to survive within the host, including the ability to form biofilms and evade phagocytosis. These characteristics contribute to its pathogenicity and complicate the management of infections it causes. While E. miricola is not commonly associated with outbreaks, its detection in clinical specimens has raised awareness about the need for improved diagnostic methods and infection control practices in healthcare settings. Overall, the clinical implications of Elizabethkingia miricola highlight the importance of ongoing research to better understand its pathogenic mechanisms and to develop effective treatment protocols.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Elizabethkingia miricola is a bacterium that is primarily associated with freshwater environments and soil ecosystems. This microorganism has been isolated from various habitats, including river sediments and wetland areas, indicating its adaptability to different ecological niches. It thrives in environments that are rich in organic matter, where it plays a crucial role in the decomposition of organic materials, thus contributing to nutrient cycling within these ecosystems. In terms of its ecological interactions, E. miricola is known to engage in symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms, particularly in biofilm communities. These biofilms can form on surfaces in aquatic environments, providing a habitat for diverse microbial populations. The presence of E. miricola in these communities can enhance the degradation of pollutants, showcasing its potential role in bioremediation efforts. Furthermore, E. miricola exhibits remarkable environmental adaptability, allowing it to survive in varying conditions, including fluctuations in temperature and nutrient availability. This adaptability not only aids its survival but also positions it as a key player in maintaining the ecological balance within its habitats. Overall, Elizabethkingia miricola is an important microorganism in freshwater ecosystems and soil environments, contributing to both ecological health and biogeochemical processes.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Elizabethkingia miricola has shown potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology, waste management, and pharmaceutical development. This organism is known for its ability to thrive in diverse environments, which makes it a candidate for several biotechnological processes. In biotechnology, Elizabethkingia miricola is recognized for its role in fermentation, where it can be utilized to produce valuable metabolites. Its metabolic pathways can be harnessed to generate compounds that are useful in food and beverage industries, as well as in the production of bioactive substances. In the realm of waste management, Elizabethkingia miricola has demonstrated capabilities in biodegradation, particularly in the breakdown of complex organic pollutants. This property is crucial for the treatment of contaminated environments, such as oil spills or industrial waste, where the organism can help in the detoxification process. Furthermore, in pharmaceutical development, Elizabethkingia miricola has been studied for its potential to produce novel antibiotics and other bioactive compounds. Its unique biochemical pathways may lead to the discovery of new drugs that can combat resistant strains of bacteria, making it a valuable asset in the pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the versatility of Elizabethkingia miricola in these applications highlights its importance in advancing sustainable practices and developing innovative solutions 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: 9

LLM predicted phenotypes: 4

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	google/gemini-pro	openchat/openchat-7b	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	google/gemma-7b-it	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/gemini-pro-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b
Motility	N/A	false	false	false	true	true	false	true	true	false	false	false	true	true	false	false	false	false	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	aerobic ✓	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	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	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	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 1 ✗	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	false	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	FALSE	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	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 ✓	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	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	gamma	gamma	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	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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