''Prevotellaceae'' is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

of bacteria from the order

Bacteroidales Bacteroidales is an order of bacteria. Notably it includes the genera ''Prevotella'' and ''Bacteroides'' , which are commonly found in the human gut microbiota. Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic name ...

. As a member of the phylum

Bacteroidota The phylum Bacteroidota (synonym Bacteroidetes) is composed of three large classes of Gram-negative, nonsporeforming, anaerobic or aerobic, and rod-shaped bacteria that are widely distributed in the environment, including in soil, sediments, and ...

, its species are

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 ...

– meaning their outer cell wall contains

lipopolysaccharides Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are large molecules consisting of a lipid and a polysaccharide that are bacterial toxins. They are composed of an O-antigen, an outer core, and an inner core all joined by a covalent bond, and are found in the outer me ...

. Since they are

anaerobes An anaerobic organism or anaerobe is any organism that does not require molecular oxygen for growth. It may react negatively or even die if free oxygen is present. In contrast, an aerobic organism (aerobe) is an organism that requires an oxygenate ...

, members of Prevotellaceae can live in areas where there is little to no oxygen – such as the guts of mammals. Prevotellaceae is split into 4 genera:

Hallella ''Hallella'' is a Gram-negative, non- spore-forming, anaerobic and non-motile genus of bacteria from the family of Prevotellaceae ''Prevotellaceae'' is a family of bacteria from the order Bacteroidales. As a member of the phylum Bacteroidota, ...

Paraprevotella ''Paraprevotella'' is a Gram-negative, non- spore-forming, pleomorphic and anaerobic genus of bacteria from the family of Prevotellaceae ''Prevotellaceae'' is a family of bacteria from the order Bacteroidales. As a member of the phylum Bacte ...

, Prevotella, and Alloprevotella. These 4 genera include 51 different bacterial species. The genus ''

Prevotella ''Prevotella'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ''Prevotella'' spp. are members of the oral, vaginal, and gut microbiota and are often recovered from anaerobic infections of the respiratory tract. These infections include aspiration pneum ...

'' is known for its role in the

human gastrointestinal microbiota Gut microbiota, gut microbiome, or gut flora, are the microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that live in the digestive tracts of animals. The gastrointestinal metagenome is the aggregate of all the genomes of the gut mic ...

. ''Prevotella'' species are among the most numerous microbes culturable from the rumen and hind gut of cattle and sheep, where they help the breakdown of protein and carbohydrate foods. They are also present in humans, where they can be opportunistic pathogens. ''Prevotella'', credited interchangeably with ''Bacteroides melaninogenicus'', has been a problem for dentists' patients for years. As a human pathogen known for creating periodontal and tooth problems, ''Prevotella'' has long been studied to counteract its pathogenesis. The presence of ''Prevotella'' in the human gastrointestinal tract is inversely correlated with

Parkinson’s disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

References

Bacteroidia {{Bacteroidetes-stub