Bacteria Genomes - CLOSTRIDIUM ACETOBUTYLICUM

Members of genus Clostridium are Gram-positive , spore-forming rods that are anaerobic. These motile bacteria are ubiquitous in nature and are especially fond of soil. Under the microscope, they appear as long drumsticks with a bulge located at their terminal ends. Clostridium shows optimimum growth when plated on blood agar at human body temperatures. When the environment becomes stressed, however, the bacteria produce spores that tolerate the extreme conditions that the active bacteria cannot. In their active form, these bacteria secrete powerful exotoxins that are responsible for such diseases as tetanus, botulism, and gas gangrene.

The Clostridia include a number of toxin-producing pathogens. C. acetobutylicum strain ATCC 824 is one of the best-studied solventogenic Clostridia and is closely related to strains that were used industrially for ABE fermentation from the 1920s through to the 1950s when solvent production from petrochemical processes took over. The organism was used by Great Britain during World War I to generate acetone, which was needed for the production of artillery shells.

Although they are no longer used in industry, the solventogenic Clostridia continue to be the subject of numerous studies, including recent efforts to apply the tools of molecular biology and genetic engineering to alter substrate specificity and improve the efficiency of solvent production.

References:

J. Bacteriol. 183 (16):4823-38 (2001)
http://www.genomecorp.com/programs/sequence_data_clost.shtml