Blattabacterium sp. (Blattella germanica) str. Bge

Blattabacterium_sp.
Names Blattabacterium sp. (Blattella germanica) str. Bge
Accession numbers NC_013454, NC_015679
Background Blattabacterium strain Bge is the primary endosymbiont of the cockroach Blattella germanica. It is a Gram-negative maternally inherited bacteria which lives in specialized cells in the host's abdominal fat body. Phylogenetic analyses for the Blattabacterium-cockroach symbiosis supports the hypothesis of co-evolution between symbionts and hosts dating back to more than 140 million years ago. Cockroaches are omnivorous insects, often subsisting on a nitrogen-poor diet, and Blattabacterium have been hypothesized to participate in uric acid degradation, nitrogen assimilation, and nutrient provisioning. Genome sequencing and metabolic reconstruction shows that Blattabacterium can recycle nitrogen from urea and ammonia, which are uric acid degradation products, into glutamate, using urease and glutamate dehydrogenase, and thus would be able to provide its host with some essential amino acids, vitamins and cofactors. The bacterium relies on Pro, Gln and Asn supplied by the host. It encodes the complete machinery to synthesize nucleotides, fatty acids, and the cofactors folic acid, lipoic acid, FAD, NAD, pyridoxine, and riboflavin. Interestingly Blattabacterium strain Bge encodes a complete urea cycle, and the bacteria have urease activity; they could potentially use amino acids efficiently as energy and reducing power sources, generating nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (adapted from PMID 19911043). (HAMAP: BLASB)
Taxonomy
Kingdom:Bacteria
Phylum:Bacteroidetes
Class:Flavobacteria
Order:Flavobacteriales
Family:Blattabacteriaceae
Genus:Blattabacterium
Species:sp.
Strain Bge
Complete Yes
Sequencing centre (03-NOV-2009) National Center for Biotechnology Information, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
(09-MAR-2009) Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, University of Valencia, Poligon 'La Coma' s/n,
Sequencing quality Level 6: Finished
Sequencing depth NA
Sequencing method Sanger, 454
Isolation site "fat body of female adults of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica"
Isolation country Spain
Number of replicons 2
Gram staining properties Negative
Shape Bacilli
Mobility No
Flagellar presence No
Number of membranes 1?
Oxygen requirements Aerobic
Optimal temperature NA
Temperature range Mesophilic
Habitat HostAssociated
Biotic relationship Symbiotic
Host name Blattella germanica
Cell arrangement Singles
Sporulation Nonsporulating
Metabolism NA
Energy source NA
Diseases NA
Pathogenicity No