''Cytophaga'' 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 wall ...
,
gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is al ...
, rod-shaped bacteria. This bacterium is commonly found in soil, rapidly digests crystalline cellulose ''C. hutchinsonii'' is able to use its gliding motility to move quickly over surfaces. Although the mechanism for this is not known, there is a belief that the flagellum is not used
Species
The following are some
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
in ''Cytophaga'':
* ''
Cytophaga psychrophila'' — causes
peduncle or
cold water disease in
Brook trout
The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...
; predisposed by subnormal water temperature.
* ''
Cytophaga hutchinsonii
''Cytophaga hutchinsonii'' is a bacterial species in the genus ''Cytophaga''. ''C. hutchinsonii'' is an aerobic, gram-negative, soil, microorganism that exhibits gliding motility, enabling it to move quickly over surfaces and is capable of cellul ...
'' — aerobic
cellulolytic
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell wall ...
soil bacterium that is known for its ability to rapidly glide over surfaces. The mechanism of cellulose digestion is not fully known; however, it is known that ''C. hutchinsonii'' has multiple cell-associated cellulolytic enzymes.
Species Previously Classified in ''Cytophaga:''
* ''Flavobacterium columnare'' (previously: ''
Cytophaga columnaris)'' — the cause of
columnaris
Columnaris (also referred to as cottonmouth) is a symptom of disease in fish which results from an infection caused by the Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium ''Flavobacterium columnare''. It was previously known as ''Bacillus columnaris, ...
disease in
salmon
Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...
id fish, as associated with increased water temperature; it is characterized by white necrotic plaques overlaying skin ulcers; formerly called: ''
Flexibacter columnaris''.
* ''Flavobacterium johnsoniae'' (previously: ''
Cytophaga johnsonae
''Cytophaga'' is a genus of Gram-negative, gliding, rod-shaped bacteria. This bacterium is commonly found in soil, rapidly digests crystalline cellulose ''C. hutchinsonii'' is able to use its gliding motility to move quickly over surfaces. A ...
)'' — associated with false columnaris disease.
* ''
Breznibacter xylanoticus'' (previously: ''Cytophaga xylanolytica'') — a gliding bacteria that dominates xylan degradation in freshwater environments
References
*
External links
''Cytophaga'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3009545
Gram-negative bacteria
Medically important anaerobes
Gut flora bacteria
Bacteria genera
Cytophagia