''Arcanobacterium'' () 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 ...

. They 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 ...

, non–

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 s ...

, non

motile Motility is the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy. Definitions Motility, the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy, can be contrasted with sessility, the state of organisms th ...

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' ...

, and non–

endospore An endospore is a dormant, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by some bacteria in the phylum Bacillota. The name "endospore" is suggestive of a spore or seed-like form (''endo'' means 'within'), but it is not a true spore (i.e., no ...

forming. They are widely distributed in

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

in the

microbiota Microbiota are the range of microorganisms that may be commensal, symbiotic, or pathogenic found in and on all multicellular organisms, including plants. Microbiota include bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses, and have been found t ...

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s (including the

human microbiota This article lists some of the species recognized as belonging to the human microbiome. Whole-body distributed *''Acinetobacter calcoaceticus'' *'' Burkholderia cepacia'' *''Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes'' *''Peptostreptococcus spp'' Natur ...

) and are mostly innocuous. Some can cause disease in humans and other animals (for example, ''Arcanobacterium haemolyticum'' infections). As with various species of a microbiota (including their cousins in the genera ''

Corynebacterium ''Corynebacterium'' () is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria and most are aerobe, aerobic. They are bacillus (shape), bacilli (rod-shaped), and in some phases of life they are, more specifically, club (weapon), club-shaped, which inspired the gen ...

'' and ''Trueperella''), they usually are not

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 ...

ic but can occasionally opportunistically capitalize on atypical access to tissues (via

wound A wound is a rapid onset of injury that involves laceration, lacerated or puncture wound, punctured skin (an ''open'' wound), or a bruise, contusion (a ''closed'' wound) from blunt force physical trauma, trauma or compression. In pathology, a '' ...

s) or weakened host defenses.

Taxonomy

As explained by Yassin ''et al''., the genus ''Arcanobacterium'' was first described by Collins ''et al''. in 1982 to accommodate bacterial strains previously assigned to the genus ''

'' variously (and controversially) as ''C. pyogenes hominis'' and then ''C. haemolyticum'', thenceforth to be known as ''

Arcanobacterium haemolyticum ''Arcanobacterium haemolyticum'' is a species of bacteria classified as a gram-positive bacillus. It is catalase-negative, facultative anaerobic, beta-hemolytic, and not motile. It has been known to cause head and neck infections, pharyngitis, a ...

''. The name (from '' arcanus'' + ''bacterium'') means "secretive bacterium" or "enigmatic/mysterious bacterium". In 2011, Yassin ''et al''., on the basis of

16S rRNA 16S rRNA may refer to: * 16S ribosomal RNA 16 S ribosomal RNA (or 16 S rRNA) is the RNA component of the 30S subunit of a prokaryotic ribosome ( SSU rRNA). It binds to the Shine-Dalgarno sequence and provides most of the SSU structure. The g ...

signature

nucleotide Nucleotides are organic molecules consisting of a nucleoside and a phosphate. They serve as monomeric units of the nucleic acid polymers – deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), both of which are essential biomolecules wi ...

comparisons,

menaquinone Vitamin K2 or menaquinone (MK) () is one of three types of vitamin K Vitamin K refers to structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-synthesis ...

and

phospholipid Phospholipids, are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typ ...

compositions, and Christie–Atkins–Munch-Petersen (CAMP) tests, proposed that four species—''A. haemolyticum'', ''A. hippocoleae'', ''A. phocae'', and ''A. pluranimalium''—should continue to be affiliated with the genus ''Arcanobacterium'', whereas the species ''A. abortisuis'', ''A. bernardiae'', ''A. bialowiezense'', ''A. bonasi'', and ''A. pyogenes'' should be reclassified as members of a new genus, '' Trueperella'', as ''Trueperella abortisuis'' comb. nov., ''Trueperella bernardiae'' comb. nov., ''Trueperella bialowiezensis'' comb. nov., ''Trueperella bonasi'' comb. nov., and ''Trueperella pyogenes'' comb. nov. Therefore, they provided an emended description of the genus ''Arcanobacterium''. In 2001, Lawson ''et al''. reported that ''A. pluranimalium'' sp. nov. had been isolated from a

harbour porpoise The harbour porpoise (''Phocoena phocoena'') is one of eight extant species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest species of cetacean. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar ...

and a

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

. In 2002, Hoyles ''et al''. reported that ''A. hippocoleae'' sp. nov. had been isolated from a

vaginal discharge Vaginal discharge is a mixture of liquid, cells, and bacteria that lubricate and protect the vagina. This mixture is constantly produced by the cells of the vagina and cervix, and it exits the body through the vaginal opening. The composition, amou ...

of a

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

. In 2012, Hijazin ''et al''. reported that ''A. canis'' sp. nov. had been isolated from

otitis externa Otitis externa, also called swimmer's ear, is inflammation of the ear canal. It often presents with ear pain, swelling of the ear canal, and occasionally decreased hearing. Typically there is pain with movement of the outer ear. A high fever is ...

in a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

. In 2013 the same group (with Hijazin, Sammra, and others) reported that ''A. phocisimile'' sp. nov. had been isolated from

harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

s. In 2015, the same group (with Sammra and others) reported that ''A. pinnipediorum'' sp. nov. had also been isolated from a harbor seal.

Species

* '' A. bovis'' Sammra ''et al''. 2020 * '' A. canis'' Hijazin ''et al''. 2012 * '' A. haemolyticum'' (''ex'' MacLean ''et al''. 1946) Collins ''et al''. 1983 * '' A. hippocoleae'' Hoyles ''et al''. 2002 * "'' A. ihumii''" Fall ''et al''. 2019 * '' A. phocae'' Pascual Ramos ''et al''. 1997 * '' A. phocisimile'' Hijazin ''et al''. 2013 * '' A. pinnipediorum'' Sammra ''et al''. 2015 * '' A. pluranimalium'' Lawson ''et al''. 2001 * "'' A. urinimassiliense''" Diop ''et al''. 2017 * '' A. wilhelmae'' Sammra ''et al''. 2017

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q631663 Bacteria genera Actinomycetales