The precipitous drop in the cost of genomic sequencing and the concomitant availability of computational methods for comparing genome-level data has made the accurate taxonomic placement of bacteria affordable and relatively rapid. Inaccurate taxonomic placement of bacteria has serious implications in clinical, environmental, and regulatory microbiology, but it can also adversely affect interpretation of research results. The quorum biosensor strain CV026 was derived from an isolate of Chromobacterium that was labeled as C. violaceum ATCC 31532, and is catalogued by the ATCC under that species name. Nearly 200 papers have been published that use CV026 as an indicator for quorum sensing activity in many Gram negative bacteria, but the inability of C. violaceum strains to complement the quorum sensing mutation in CV026 has called the taxonomic placement of the parent strain into question. We used molecular phylogeny and a large number of metabolic and phenotypic characters to demonstrate that Chromobacterium strain ATCC 31532 is a member of species Chromobacterium subtsugae.

Chromobacterium vaccinii has been isolated only from cranberry bogs in Massachusetts. While it is unknown what role these bacteria play in their natural environments, they hold potential as biological control agents against the larvae of insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and chitinases.

Chromobacterium subtsugae MWU12-2387 was isolated from the rhizosphere of cranberry plants. While it is unknown what environmental role these bacteria play in bog soils, they hold potential as biological control agents against nematodes and insect pests. Potential virulence genes were identified, including the violacein synthesis pathway, siderophores, and several chitinases.

Dendritic cells (DC) from diabetes-prone NOD mice and patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) produce excess IL-12 that drives development of -cell-destroying IFN--producing T cells. The molecular mechanisms that control IL-12 production in T1D are unclear. In this study, we report that -catenin, a multifunctional protein involved in inflammation, is dramatically increased in DC from NOD mice. We further investigated the mechanisms leading to accumulation of -catenin in NOD DC and its role in the inflammatory pathogenic responses associated with T1D. Hyperphosphorylation of -catenin at a stabilizing residue, serine 552, mediated by activation of Akt, appears to lead to -catenin accumulation in NOD DC. Elevated -