The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications

Early modification of sickle cell disease clinical course by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 gene promoter polymorphism

Elevated erythrocyte destruction in sickle cell disease (SCD) results in chronic hyperbilirubinaemia and, in a subset of patients, cholelithiasis occurs. We investigated whether the (TA)n promoter polymorphism in the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 gene (UGT1A1) may modify bilirubin metabolism, influencing bilirubinaemia, predisposition to cholelithiasis and subsequent cholecystectomy, in a group of 153 young SCD patients (mean age 12.0 +/- 9.0 years) predominantly of Bantu beta S haplotype. The concomitant effect of alpha thalassaemia was also analysed. Among the several UGT1A1 genotypes found, the most frequent were the (TA)6/(TA)6 (n = 37), (TA)6/(TA)7 (n = 60) and (TA)7/(TA)7 (n = 29). These groups of patients did not significantly differ in age, gender ratio and haemoglobin, foetal haemoglobin and reticulocyte levels. On the other hand, total bilirubin levels were significantly different between groups, with an increased (TA) repeat number being associated with higher bilirubinaemia. Furthermore, both cholelithiasis and cholecystectomy were more frequent in groups with higher (TA) repeat number, although the former association was not statistically significant. None of the mentioned parameters is statistically different within UGT1A1 groups with the presence of alpha thalassaemia. Thus, the UGT1A1 promoter polymorphism may represent an important nonglobin genetic modifier of Bantu SCD patients' clinical manifestations, even at a young age