Exiguobacterium aurantiacum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Exiguobacterium aurantiacum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Bacillota |
| Class: | Bacilli |
| Order: | Exiguobacteriales |
| Family: | Exiguobacteriaceae |
| Genus: | Exiguobacterium |
| Species: | E. aurantiacum |
| Binomial name | |
| Exiguobacterium aurantiacum Collins et al. 1984[1] | |
Exiguobacterium aurantiacum is a Gram-positive, alkaliphilic, halotolerant, and non-spore-forming bacterium.[2] Exiguobacterium spp. are facultative anaerobes that have been isolated from a broad range of environments with Exiguobacterium aurantiacum, the type species, being isolated from alkaline potato-processing effluent in 1980.[3] E. aurantiacum has been evaluated for use in bioremediation and as a source for natural pigments.[4][5] Two case studies have associated E. aurantiacum with infections in humans.[6][7]
The name Exiguobacterium aurantiacum derives from the Latin exiguus meaning "small" or "slender" and aurantiacus meaning "orange-colored". Exiguobacterium is one of 122 genera within the Bacillaceae family. As of 2024, the Exiguobacterium genus now hosts 19 species recognized by the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP).[8]
History
The classification, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum, was first assigned in 1983 by Collins et al. after five alkaliphilic bacteria were isolated from potato-processing effluent by Gee et al. in 1980.[9] The first genome was made available in 2014 by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute.[10] The E. aurantiacum DSM 6208 genome is composed of 3.04 Mbp with a GC content of 53%. Of note, the genome was found to have 90 transposases and two cold shock genes.
Description
Exiguobacterium aurantiacum cells are pleomorphic, ranging from (~3.2 μm) rods in exponential phase to short (~1.2 μm) coccobacilli in stationary phase.[11] Cells are gram-positive, motile, and do not form spores. E. aurantiacum is classified as a facultative anaerobe able to grow on a range of sugars including, but not limited to, glucose, sucrose, and galactose. Colonies grown aerobically on Van Niel's Yeast Agar are glossy with a honey-orange pigment.
