The Nitrobacteraceae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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 ...
,
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 cel ...
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 ...
. They include plant-associated bacteria such as ''
Bradyrhizobium'', a genus of
rhizobia associated with some
legumes. It also contains animal-associated bacteria such as ''
Afipia felis'', formerly thought to cause
cat-scratch disease. Others are free-living, such as ''
Rhodopseudomonas'', a
purple bacterium found in marine water and soils. The
strain
Strain may refer to:
Science and technology
* Strain (biology), variants of plants, viruses or bacteria; or an inbred animal used for experimental purposes
* Strain (chemistry), a chemical stress of a molecule
* Strain (injury), an injury to a mu ...
''Rhodopseudomonas palustris'' DX-1 can generate an
electric current with no
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
production, a trait being explored in the development of the
microbial fuel cell Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a type of bioelectrochemical fuel cell system that
generates electric current by diverting electrons produced from the microbial oxidation of reduced compounds (also known as fuel or electron donor) on the anode to oxid ...
. The genus ''Afipia'' has also been found in the atmosphere, where it uses
methylsulfonylmethane as a carbon source.
[(page 3 and 5 of 6, quotes slightly edited).]
The bacteria of this family derive their energy from oxidizing
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous wa ...
to
nitrite, or by oxidizing nitrite to
nitrate. They are commonly found in
freshwater and
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debri ...
.
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 nomenclature, naming and Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of prokaryotes, following the taxonomy requirements and rulings of the In ...
(LPSN).
The phylogeny is based on whole-genome analysis.
See also
*
Nitrogen cycle
*
Nitrite
*
Nitrate
References
External links
J.P. Euzéby: List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature - Family Nitrobacteraceae- cict.fr
Nitrobacteraceae- discoverlife.org
Nitrobacteraceae, Taxonomic Serial No.: 56-
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagenc ...
Nitrobacteraceae- online-medical-dictionary.org
Taxonomic Considerations of the Family ''Nitrobacteraceae'' Buchanan- sgmjournals.org
Nitrobacteraceae
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