Shigella sonnei

General Information

Shigella sonnei is a significant human pathogen known for causing shigellosis, a severe form of dysentery. One of the most notable characteristics of S. sonnei is its low infectious dose, meaning that even a small number of bacteria can cause illness. This makes it highly contagious and a major concern in public health, especially in settings with poor sanitation. Shigella sonnei is particularly interesting due to its ability to invade and replicate within the epithelial cells of the human colon. It employs a sophisticated type III secretion system to inject effector proteins into host cells, manipulating the host's cellular machinery to facilitate its own uptake and survival. This mechanism of invasion and intracellular lifestyle is a key area of research, as it provides insights into bacterial pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. Another unique aspect of S. sonnei is its genetic adaptability. The bacterium has shown a remarkable ability to acquire antibiotic resistance genes, making treatment increasingly challenging. This adaptability is often mediated by plasmids and transposons, which can be transferred between bacteria, contributing to the spread of resistance. From a research perspective, Shigella sonnei serves as a model organism for studying bacterial invasion, immune evasion, and antibiotic resistance. Its interactions with the host immune system are complex and provide valuable information on how pathogens can subvert host defenses. Additionally, the development of vaccines and novel therapeutics against S. sonnei is an active area of research, driven by the need to control outbreaks and reduce the global burden of shigellosis. In summary, Shigella sonnei is a highly contagious and adaptable pathogen with a sophisticated mechanism of host cell invasion. Its ability to rapidly acquire antibiotic resistance and its significant impact on public health make it a critical subject of study in microbiology and infectious disease research.

Shigella sonnei is a significant human pathogen known for causing bacillary dysentery, or shigellosis, which is characterized by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. This organism is particularly interesting due to its high infectivity, as it can cause disease with a very low infectious dose, often fewer than 100 bacteria. This makes it a critical concern in public health, especially in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene practices. One of the unique aspects of S. sonnei is its ability to adapt to various environmental conditions, which contributes to its persistence in contaminated water and food sources. The organism is also notable for its virulence factors, including the invasion plasmid antigen (Ipa) proteins that facilitate its entry into epithelial cells of the intestinal lining. This ability to invade and multiply within host cells is a key feature that distinguishes S. sonnei from other enteric pathogens. From a research perspective, S. sonnei serves as an important model organism for studying pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. Its genetic and biochemical properties have been extensively studied, leading to insights into the mechanisms of bacterial invasion and immune evasion. Furthermore, the organism's antibiotic resistance patterns are of great concern, as they can complicate treatment options and necessitate ongoing surveillance and research into effective therapeutic strategies. In summary, Shigella sonnei is not only a major public health threat due to its infectious nature and virulence but also a valuable subject for scientific research aimed at understanding bacterial pathogenesis and developing new interventions.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Pseudomonadota

Class: Gammaproteobacteria

Order: Enterobacterales

Family: Enterobacteriaceae

Genus: Shigella

Species: Shigella sonnei

NCBI ID

624

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/013/374/815/GCA_013374815.1_ASM1337481v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_013374815.1_ASM1337481v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The bacterium Shigella sonnei is a significant pathogen known for causing shigellosis, an infectious disease characterized by diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, often through contaminated food or water, making it a major concern in areas with poor sanitation. Shigella sonnei is particularly relevant in outbreaks, especially in crowded settings such as daycare centers and refugee camps. In terms of pathogenicity, Shigella sonnei employs various mechanisms to invade and survive within the host. It can evade the immune response by secreting virulence factors that disrupt host cell signaling and promote its own uptake into epithelial cells. This ability to manipulate host cell processes is crucial for its survival and replication within the intestinal mucosa. The organism is also notable for its antimicrobial resistance. Strains of Shigella sonnei have shown increasing resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, complicating treatment options. This resistance is often attributed to the acquisition of resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer, which poses a significant challenge in managing infections. Despite its pathogenic nature, there is ongoing research into the potential use of Shigella sonnei in vaccine development. Live attenuated vaccines are being explored to provide immunity against shigellosis, which could significantly reduce the incidence of this disease in endemic regions. Additionally, understanding the mechanisms of Shigella sonnei can aid in the development of targeted therapeutics and preventive measures. In summary, Shigella sonnei is a clinically relevant organism due to its role in causing shigellosis, its strategies for immune evasion, its growing antimicrobial resistance, and its potential applications in vaccine development.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Shigella sonnei is primarily associated with human-associated environments, particularly in urban settings where sanitation may be compromised. This bacterium is a significant pathogen responsible for shigellosis, a form of bacterial dysentery, and thrives in areas with high population density and poor hygiene practices. Its ecological niche is closely linked to contaminated water sources and foodborne transmission, making it prevalent in regions with inadequate sanitation infrastructure. In terms of its role in the ecosystem, Shigella sonnei is a facultative anaerobe, which allows it to survive in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This adaptability enables it to colonize the human gastrointestinal tract, where it can cause inflammation and disrupt normal gut flora. The bacterium's ability to invade epithelial cells of the intestines highlights its pathogenic nature and underscores its impact on human health. Notably, Shigella sonnei engages in symbiotic relationships with other microorganisms in the gut, influencing the microbial community structure. Its presence can lead to dysbiosis, which may have cascading effects on nutrient absorption and immune responses in the host. Furthermore, the bacterium's resistance to various antibiotics poses significant challenges in managing infections, emphasizing its role as a public health concern in affected biomes. Overall, the biomes associated with Shigella sonnei are characterized by urban environments, contaminated water sources, and human hosts, where it plays a critical role as a pathogen, impacting both individual health and community well-being.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Shigella sonnei is primarily known for its role in human disease, particularly as a causative agent of bacillary dysentery. However, its potential industrial applications are limited and not well-documented in the context of biotechnology or other industrial sectors. While it is not typically associated with biotechnology, waste management, or biofuel production, understanding its pathogenic mechanisms can contribute to pharmaceutical development. For instance, research on Shigella sonnei can lead to the development of vaccines or therapeutic agents aimed at preventing or treating shigellosis. This involves studying its pathogenicity and virulence factors, which can inform the design of effective interventions. Additionally, the organism's ability to survive in various environments may provide insights into biodegradation processes, although this is not a primary focus of its study. Overall, while Shigella sonnei does not have significant industrial applications, its study is crucial for public health and disease prevention.

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

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