''Alkalihalobacillus clausii'' or its old scientific name ''Bacillus clausii'' is a rod-shaped, motile, and

spore In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, f ...

-forming

bacterium Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...

that lives in the soil but is also a natural microflora of the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. It is classified as

probiotic Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria-host i ...

microorganism that maintains a

symbiotic relationship Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or parasit ...

with the host organism. It is currently being studied in relation to respiratory infections and some gastrointestinal disorders. ''Bacillus clausii'' has been found to produce antimicrobial substances that are active against

gram-positive bacteria In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. Gram-positive bact ...

including ''

Staphylococcus aureus ''Staphylococcus aureus'' is a Gram-positive spherically shaped bacterium, a member of the Bacillota, and is a usual member of the microbiota of the body, frequently found in the upper respiratory tract and on the skin. It is often positive ...

'', ''

Enterococcus faecium ''Enterococcus faecium'' is a Gram-positive, gamma-hemolytic or non- hemolytic bacterium in the genus ''Enterococcus''. It can be commensal (innocuous, coexisting organism) in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals, but it may also be ...

'' and '' Clostridium difficile''. It is sold as an anti-diarrhoea and under the brand name Erceflora by

Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...

. This species has been recently transferred into the genus ''

Alkalihalobacillus ''Alkalihalobacillus'' is a genus of gram-positive or gram-variable rod-shaped bacteria in the family ''Bacillaceae'' from the order ''Bacillales''. The type species of this genus is '' Alkalihalobacillus alcalophilus.'' This genus comprises s ...

.'' The correct nomenclature is thus ''Alkalihalobacillus clausii.''

Genome structure

''Alkalihalobacillus clausii'' has a relatively small genome that contains 4.30 Mbp with 4,108 protein coding genes.

References

External links

Bacillus clausiiType strain of ''Bacillus clausii'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q722949 Probiotics clausii Bacteria described in 1995