Neisseria meningitidis

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Classification

Kingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Proteobacteria

Class: Beta Proteobacteria

Order: Neisseriales

Family: Neisseriaceae

Genus: Neisseria

Species: N. meningitidis

Binomial Name

Neisseria meningitis

Description and significance

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated. Include a picture or two (with sources) if you can find them.

Genome structure

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Cell structure and metabolism

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Ecology

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Pathology

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

There are approximately 12 strains of Neisseria meningiditis have been identified. Among these known strains, serogroups A, B, and C have been found to be those responsible for 90% of meningococcal meningitis cases. Specifically, serogroup A has been implicated in meningitis epidemics in developing countries, while serogroups B and C have been implicated in meningitis epidemics in already developed countries.

Application to Biotechnology

Does this organism produce any useful compounds or enzymes? What are they and how are they used?

Current Research

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References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neisseria_meningitidis