''Actinobacillus'' is a genus of

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wa ...

, nonmotile and non-spore-forming, oval to rod-shaped bacteria occurring as parasites or pathogens in mammals, birds, and reptiles. It is a member of the family

Pasteurellaceae The Pasteurellaceae comprise a large family of Gram-negative bacteria. Most members live as commensals on mucosal surfaces of birds and mammals, especially in the upper respiratory tract. Pasteurellaceae are typically rod-shaped, and are a notabl ...

. The bacteria are facultatively anaerobic or aerobic, capable of fermenting carbohydrates (without production of gas), and of reducing nitrates. The genomic DNA contains between 40 and 47 mol % guanine plus cytosine. ''Actinobacillus'' (''

Pasteurella __NOTOC__ ''Pasteurella'' is a genus of Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacteria. ''Pasteurella'' species are nonmotile and pleomorphic, and often exhibit bipolar staining ("safety pin" appearance). Most species are catalase- and oxidase ...

'') ''ureae'' and ''A. hominis'' occur in the respiratory tracts of healthy humans and may be involved in the pathogenesis of

sinusitis Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinuses resulting in symptoms that may include thick nasal mucus, a plugged nose, and facial pain. Other signs and symptoms may include fever, head ...

bronchopneumonia Bronchopneumonia is a subtype of pneumonia. It is the acute inflammation of the bronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs. citing: Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition, Copyright 2014 It is ofte ...

, and meningitis. ''A. actinomycetemcomitans'' occurs in the human oral microflora, and together with anaerobic or capnophilic organisms (

HACEK The HACEK organisms are a group of fastidious Gram-negative bacteria that are an unusual cause of infective endocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart due to bacterial infection. HACEK is an abbreviation of the initials of the genera of t ...

group organisms) may cause endocarditis. Actinobacilli are susceptible to most antibiotics of the beta-lactam family,

aminoglycoside Aminoglycoside is a medicinal and bacteriologic category of traditional Gram-negative antibacterial medications that inhibit protein synthesis and contain as a portion of the molecule an amino-modified glycoside (sugar). The term can also refer ...

tetracycline Tetracycline, sold under various brand names, is an oral antibiotic in the tetracyclines family of medications, used to treat a number of infections, including acne, cholera, brucellosis, plague, malaria, and syphilis. Common side effects in ...

s, chloramphenicol, and many other antibacterial

chemotherapeutic Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs ( chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemothera ...

s. An analysis of ''A. actinomycetemcomitans'' indicated it was monophyletic with ''Haemophilus aphrophilus'' and ''H. segnis'', and they were proposed to be reclassified as a new genus, ''

Aggregatibacter ''Aggregatibacter'' is a genus in the phylum Pseudomonadota (Bacteria), which contains three species, namely: * '' A. actinomycetemcomitans'' (Klinger 1912) Nørskov-Lauritsen and Kilian 2006, (type species of the genus); (from Greek noun (ἀ� ...

'' (from the Latin ''aggregare'', meaning "to come together").

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q310714 Bacteria genera Pasteurellales