''Erysipelothrix'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

bacteria 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 ...

containing four described species, ''

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae ''Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae'' is a Gram-positive, catalase-negative, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming, nonacid-fast, nonmotile bacterium. Distributed worldwide, ''E. rhusiopathiae'' is primarily considered an animal pathogen, causing the diseas ...

'', ''Erysipelothrix tonsillarum'', ''Erysipelothrix inopinata'' and ''Erysipelothrix larvae''.Verbarg, S., et al. (2004)
''Erysipelothrix inopinata'' sp. nov., isolated in the course of sterile filtration of vegetable peptone broth, and description of ''Erysipelotrichaceae'' fam. nov.
''IJSEM'' 54(1) 221-25. Additional species have been proposed based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies "The hallmark of ''Erysipelothrix'' is the presence of a type B cell wall, in which the peptide bridge is formed between amino acids at positions 2 and 4 of adjacent peptide side-chains and not, as in the vast majority of bacteria, between amino acids at positions 3 and 4." The best known species within the genus is ''

'', which is the cause of

erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...

domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, a ...

and other animal species. In humans, ''E. rhusiopathiae'' infections are termed

erysipeloid In humans, ''Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae'' infections most commonly present in a mild cutaneous form known as erysipeloid or fish poisoning. ''E. rhusiopathiae'' can cause an indolent cellulitis, more commonly in individuals who handle fish and ...

. ''Erysipelothrix tonsillarum'' has been described as a

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

for dogs and has been isolated from the

tonsils The tonsils are a set of lymphoid organs facing into the aerodigestive tract, which is known as Waldeyer's tonsillar ring and consists of the adenoid tonsil, two tubal tonsils, two palatine tonsils, and the lingual tonsils. These organs play an ...

of healthy pigs and cattle. Disease caused by ''E. inopinata'' or ''E. larvae'' have not been described. Bacteria of genus ''Erysipelothrix'' are straight, or slightly curved, slender, nonmotile rods which may exist singly, in V-shaped pairs, or in short chains. Some strains have a tendency to form long filaments. The bacteria are

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 bacte ...

but can be mistaken for

Gram-negative bacteria 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 ...

during analysis because they lose their

staining Staining is a technique used to enhance contrast in samples, generally at the microscopic level. Stains and dyes are frequently used in histology (microscopic study of biological tissues), in cytology (microscopic study of cells), and in the ...

easily. They are

aerobic Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen. Aerobic may also refer to * Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity * Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise * Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cellu ...

facultatively anaerobic A facultative anaerobic organism is an organism that makes ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but is capable of switching to fermentation if oxygen is absent. Some examples of facultatively anaerobic bacteria are ''Staphylococcus' ...

but not

acid-fast Acid-fastness is a physical property of certain bacterial and eukaryotic cells, as well as some sub-cellular structures, specifically their resistance to decolorization by acids during laboratory staining procedures. Once stained as part of a sam ...

.Stackebrandt, E., et al. (2006)
The Genus ''Erysipelothrix''.
''Prokaryotes'' 4 492-510.

Phylogeny

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the

List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) is an online database that maintains information on the naming and taxonomy of prokaryotes, following the taxonomy requirements and rulings of the International Code of Nomenclature ...

(LPSN) and

National Center for Biotechnology Information The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is approved and funded by the government of the United States. The ...

(NCBI)

References

External links

''Erysipelothrix'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity MetadatabaseErysipelothrix
at MicrobeWiki Mollicutes Bacteria genera {{Firmicutes-stub

Phylogeny

See also

References

External links