Species of bacterium
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Shimwellia blattae (formerly Escherichia blattae) is a species of bacterium, one of two in the genus "Shimwellia". It is an aerobic enteric bacterium first isolated from the hindgut of cockroaches. Although it is related to human pathogens, including "Escherichia coli", "S. blattae" is not pathogenic to humans. It is notable for its ability to synthesize vitamin B12 "de novo".
History and taxonomy.
The bacterium was first described in 1973 under the name "Escherichia blattae" after isolation from the hindgut of the cockroach species "Blatta orientalis". It was reclassified in the genus "Shimwellia" based on phylogenetic analyses of its genome sequence.
Genome.
The genome of "S. blattae" is about 4.2 megabases in size, slightly smaller than similar enteric bacteria found in humans. It has 56.5% GC content, significantly higher than "E. coli". Genomic analysis suggests that the ability of "S. blattae" to synthesize vitamin B12 has its origins in horizontal gene transfer.
References.
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