Serratia symbiotica

General Information

Serratia symbiotica is a fascinating microorganism primarily known for its symbiotic relationship with aphids. This bacterium is part of the Enterobacteriaceae family and has garnered significant interest due to its role in the complex mutualistic interactions within aphid hosts. One of the most intriguing aspects of Serratia symbiotica is its ability to provide essential nutrients to its aphid hosts, which are often deficient in their diet of plant sap. This nutritional supplementation is crucial for the survival and reproduction of aphids, making S. symbiotica an essential partner in their lifecycle. Another unique feature of Serratia symbiotica is its evolutionary transition from a free-living bacterium to an obligate symbiont. This transition is marked by a significant reduction in genome size, a phenomenon known as genome reduction, which is common among endosymbionts. The genome of S. symbiotica has been extensively studied, revealing insights into the genetic adaptations that facilitate its symbiotic lifestyle. The bacterium's genome contains numerous pseudogenes and a reduced set of functional genes, reflecting its reliance on the host for many metabolic functions. From a research perspective, Serratia symbiotica is valuable for studying the mechanisms of symbiosis and co-evolution. Its relationship with aphids serves as a model system for understanding how mutualistic interactions evolve and are maintained over time. Additionally, the study of S. symbiotica can provide broader insights into the processes of genome reduction and the evolution of obligate symbiosis in other microbial systems. In summary, Serratia symbiotica is a key player in the symbiotic relationships within aphid hosts, offering a unique window into the evolutionary dynamics of mutualism and genome reduction. Its role in nutrient supplementation and its highly adapted genome make it a subject of considerable interest in the fields of microbiology and evolutionary biology.

Serratia symbiotica is a fascinating bacterium that has garnered attention due to its unique symbiotic relationships, particularly with various insect hosts. This organism is primarily known for its association with aphids, where it plays a crucial role in the nutritional ecology of these insects. The bacterium is capable of synthesizing essential amino acids that are otherwise scarce in the aphid diet, thus providing a significant advantage to its host. This mutualistic relationship highlights the importance of S. symbiotica in the survival and reproductive success of aphids, making it a valuable subject of study in evolutionary biology and ecology. One of the most interesting aspects of S. symbiotica is its ability to adapt to the specific needs of its host. Research has shown that this bacterium can undergo genomic changes that enhance its symbiotic capabilities, allowing it to thrive in the nutrient-poor environments that aphids often encounter. This adaptability not only underscores the evolutionary dynamics between symbionts and their hosts but also raises questions about the co-evolution of these organisms. Furthermore, S. symbiotica has been studied for its potential applications in biocontrol strategies. By understanding the mechanisms of its symbiosis, researchers are exploring how this bacterium could be utilized to enhance the health and productivity of agricultural crops, particularly those affected by aphid infestations. The insights gained from studying S. symbiotica could lead to innovative approaches in sustainable agriculture, making it a valuable organism in both ecological and agricultural research. In summary, Serratia symbiotica stands out due to its essential role in the nutrition of aphids, its remarkable adaptability, and its potential applications in biocontrol, making it a significant focus of scientific inquiry.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Enterobacterales

Family: Yersiniaceae

Genus: Serratia

Species: Serratia symbiotica

NCBI ID

138074

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/009/831/665/GCF_009831665.3_ASM983166v3

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_009831665.3_ASM983166v3_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The microorganism Serratia symbiotica is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family and has been identified as a potential opportunistic pathogen in humans. It is primarily associated with infections in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those with underlying health conditions or those undergoing invasive procedures. The organism has been implicated in various clinical scenarios, including urinary tract infections, wound infections, and bacteremia. Its pathogenicity is attributed to its ability to produce virulence factors, such as biofilm formation and the secretion of proteolytic enzymes, which facilitate tissue invasion and immune evasion. One of the significant concerns regarding Serratia symbiotica is its potential for antimicrobial resistance. Strains of this organism have shown resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, including beta-lactams and aminoglycosides, complicating treatment options for infected patients. This resistance is often mediated by the acquisition of plasmids carrying resistance genes, which can be transferred between bacteria, further exacerbating the issue of multidrug resistance in clinical settings. In terms of human health, Serratia symbiotica has been studied for its role in the human microbiome, where it may contribute to maintaining a balanced microbial community. However, its opportunistic nature means that it can shift from a benign to a pathogenic state under certain conditions, leading to disease. While there are no widely recognized medical applications of Serratia symbiotica as a probiotic or therapeutic agent, understanding its interactions with the human body and its mechanisms of immune evasion is crucial for developing strategies to prevent and manage infections associated with this organism. Overall, the clinical implications of Serratia symbiotica underscore the importance of monitoring its presence in healthcare settings, particularly in patients at risk for opportunistic infections.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Serratia symbiotica has shown potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and waste management. This bacterium is known for its ability to engage in biodegradation, which can be harnessed for the breakdown of environmental pollutants, making it a candidate for bioremediation efforts. For instance, Serratia symbiotica can degrade certain hydrocarbons, thus contributing to the cleanup of oil spills and other contaminated sites. In the realm of biofuel production, Serratia symbiotica has been studied for its metabolic pathways that can be utilized in the fermentation process to convert biomass into bioethanol. This process involves the fermentation of sugars derived from plant materials, where the bacterium can play a role in enhancing yield and efficiency. Moreover, the organism has been explored for its pharmaceutical development potential, particularly in the production of bioactive compounds. Serratia symbiotica is known to produce various enzymes that can be utilized in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, showcasing its importance in the field of enzyme production. Overall, the versatility of Serratia symbiotica in these applications highlights its significance 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	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemma-7b-it	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	openchat/openchat-7b	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/gemini-pro-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	google/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro
Motility	N/A	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	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 variable ✗	N/A	gram stain negative ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	facultatively anaerobic ✗	facultatively anaerobic ✗	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
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Biofilm formation	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 ✓
Animal pathogenicity	FALSE	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗
Biosafety level	biosafety level 1	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	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 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 1 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✗
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	TRUE	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓
Plant pathogenicity	TRUE	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	beta	N/A	alpha	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 ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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