''Dehalococcoidia'' is a class of
Chloroflexota
The Chloroflexota are a phylum of bacteria containing isolates with a diversity of phenotypes, including members that are aerobic thermophiles, which use oxygen and grow well in high temperatures; anoxygenic phototrophs, which use light for phot ...
, a
phylum of
Bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...
. It is also known as the DHC group.
The name ''Dehalococcoidetes'' is a placeholder name given by Hugenholtz and Stackebrandt, 2004, after ''Dehalococcoides ethenogenes'', a
partially described 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 1997,
whereas the first species fully described belonging to this class was ''
Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens
''Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens'' is an anaerobic, Gram-negative bacteria in the phylum Chloroflexota isolated from a Superfund site in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is useful in bioremediation for its ability to reductively dehalogenate ...
'' by Moe et al. 2009, but no emendations to the name were made.
Characteristics
Both species, ''Dehalococcoides ethenogenes'' and ''Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens'' are irregular
coccus
A coccus (plural cocci) is any bacterium or archaeon that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape. Bacteria are categorized based on their shapes into three classes: cocci (spherical-shaped), bacillus (rod-shaped) and spiral ( of whi ...
(coccoid) bacteria capable of
dehalogenating polychlorinated aliphatic alkanes and alkenes, such as
tetrachloroethene,
trichloropropane,
trichloroethane,
dichloropropane, and
dichloroethane Dichloroethane can refer to either of two isomeric organochlorides with the molecular formula C2H4Cl2:
* 1,1-Dichloroethane (ethylidene chloride)
* 1,2-Dichloroethane
The chemical compound 1,2-dichloroethane, commonly known as ethylene dichlori ...
.
One of the features of the members of the phylum
Chloroflexota
The Chloroflexota are a phylum of bacteria containing isolates with a diversity of phenotypes, including members that are aerobic thermophiles, which use oxygen and grow well in high temperatures; anoxygenic phototrophs, which use light for phot ...
is the unusual
cell wall structure, which is
monoderm but with great variation in presence or structure of the
peptidoglycan
Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer outside the plasma membrane, the rigid cell wall (murein sacculus) characteristic of most ba ...
resulting in many members staining
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 ...
and other
Gram-positive
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 ...
.
Both species of Dehalococcoidetes stain
Gram negative
The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram.
Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to th ...
, but they potentially lack peptidoglycan and instead possess pseudopeptidoglycan (S-layer) (resistant to peptidoglycan-attacking antibiotics
ampicillin
Ampicillin is an antibiotic used to prevent and treat a number of bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, meningitis, salmonellosis, and endocarditis. It may also be used to prevent group B stre ...
and
vancomycin
Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication used to treat a number of bacterial infections. It is recommended intravenously as a treatment for complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, ...
;
wheat germ agglutinin does not bind nor does
lysozyme
Lysozyme (EC 3.2.1.17, muramidase, ''N''-acetylmuramide glycanhydrolase; systematic name peptidoglycan ''N''-acetylmuramoylhydrolase) is an antimicrobial enzyme produced by animals that forms part of the innate immune system. It is a glycoside ...
work).
See also
* Bioaugmentation
References
Chloroflexota
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