Alcaligenes faecalis | |
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Alcaligenes faecalis, flagella stain | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Bacteria |
Phylum: | Pseudomonadota |
Class: | Betaproteobacteria |
Order: | Burkholderiales |
Family: | Alcaligenaceae |
Genus: | Alcaligenes |
Species: | A. faecalis |
Binomial name | |
Alcaligenes faecalis Castellani & Chalmers 1919 | |
Alcaligenes faecalis is a species of Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria commonly found in the environment. It was originally named for its first discovery in feces, but was later found to be common in soil, water, and environments in association with humans. While opportunistic infections do occur, the bacterium is generally considered nonpathogenic. When an opportunistic infection does occur, it is usually observed in the form of a urinary tract infection.
A. faecalis has been used for the production of nonstandard amino acids.
A. faecalis is a Gram-negative bacterium which appears rod-shaped and motile under a microscope. It is positive by the oxidase test and catalase test, but negative by the nitrate reductase test. It is alpha-hemolytic and requires oxygen. A. faecalis can be grown at 37 °C, and forms colonies that lack pigmentation. [1]
The bacterium degrades urea, creating ammonia which increases the pH of the environment. Although A. faecalis is considered to be alkali-tolerant, it maintains a neutral pH in its cytosol to prevent the damaging or denaturing of its charged species and macromolecules. [1]
A. faecalis may have been isolated by Johannes Petruschky in 1896, [2] and also described (and they state, the description corrected) in 1919 by Castellani and Chalmers. [3] There was some controversy about the morphology and smell of the organism. [4] In 2001, previously unidentified isolates of Alcaligenes were classified as a new subspecies of A. faecalis: A. faecalis parafaecalis. [5] In 2005, a second subspecies of A. faecalis was described: A. faecalis phenolicus. [3] A. faecalis phenolicus is distinguished by its ability to use phenol as a carbon source. [3]
In 2024, researcher Ellen White of the University of Pennsylvania found that Alcaligenes faecalis can help treat chronic wounds heal faster. White added A. faecalis to wounds on diabetic mice and to human skin samples from people with diabetes while adding A. faecalis. The results showed the wounds treated with the bacteria healed faster and produced keratinocytes. [6]
Klebsiella is a genus of Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, rod-shaped bacteria with a prominent polysaccharide-based capsule.
Enterobacter is a genus of common Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Cultures are found in soil, water, sewage, feces and gut environments. It is the type genus of the order Enterobacterales. Several strains of these bacteria are pathogenic and cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts and in those who are on mechanical ventilation. The urinary and respiratory tracts are the most common sites of infection. The genus Enterobacter is a member of the coliform group of bacteria. It does not belong to the fecal coliforms group of bacteria, unlike Escherichia coli, because it is incapable of growth at 44.5 °C in the presence of bile salts. Some of them show quorum sensing properties.
Enterococcus faecalis – formerly classified as part of the group D Streptococcus system – is a Gram-positive, commensal bacterium inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of humans. Like other species in the genus Enterococcus, E. faecalis is found in healthy humans and can be used as a probiotic. The probiotic strains such as Symbioflor1 and EF-2001 are characterized by the lack of specific genes related to drug resistance and pathogenesis. As an opportunistic pathogen, E. faecalis can cause life-threatening infections, especially in the nosocomial (hospital) environment, where the naturally high levels of antibiotic resistance found in E. faecalis contribute to its pathogenicity. E. faecalis has been frequently found in reinfected, root canal-treated teeth in prevalence values ranging from 30% to 90% of the cases. Re-infected root canal-treated teeth are about nine times more likely to harbor E. faecalis than cases of primary infections.
Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) is a species complex consisting of Burkholderia cepacia and at least 20 different biochemically similar species of Gram-negative bacteria. They are catalase-producing and lactose-nonfermenting. Members of BCC are opportunistic human pathogens that most often cause pneumonia in immunocompromised individuals with underlying lung disease. Patients with sickle-cell haemoglobinopathies are also at risk. The species complex also attacks young onion and tobacco plants, and displays a remarkable ability to digest oil.
Alcaligenes is a genus of Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria in the order of Burkholderiales.
Pseudomonas oryzihabitans is a nonfermenting yellow-pigmented, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause sepsis, peritonitis, endophthalmitis, and bacteremia. It is an opportunistic pathogen of humans and warm-blooded animals that is commonly found in several environmental sources, from soil to rice paddies. They can be distinguished from other nonfermenters by their negative oxidase reaction and aerobic character. This organism can infect individuals that have major illnesses, including those undergoing surgery or with catheters in their body. Based on the 16S RNA analysis, these bacteria have been placed in the Pseudomonas putida group.
Enterobacter cloacae is a clinically significant Gram-negative, facultatively-anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium.
Morganella morganii is a species of Gram-negative bacteria. It has a commensal relationship within the intestinal tracts of humans, mammals, and reptiles as normal flora. Although M. morganii has a wide distribution, it is considered an uncommon cause of community-acquired infection, and it is most often encountered in postoperative and other nosocomial infections, such as urinary tract infections.
Streptococcus zooepidemicus is a Lancefield group C streptococcus that was first isolated in 1934 by P. R. Edwards, and named Animal pyogens A. It is a mucosal commensal and opportunistic pathogen that infects several animals and humans, but most commonly isolated from the uterus of mares. It is a subspecies of Streptococcus equi, a contagious upper respiratory tract infection of horses, and shares greater than 98% DNA homology, as well as many of the same virulence factors.
Cupriavidus metallidurans is a non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium which is adapted to survive several forms of heavy metal stress.
Staphylococcus capitis is a coagulase-negative species (CoNS) of Staphylococcus. It is part of the normal flora of the skin of the human scalp, face, neck, scrotum, and ears and has been associated with prosthetic valve endocarditis, but is rarely associated with native valve infection.
Pasteurella canis is a Gram-negative, nonmotile, penicillin-sensitive coccobacillus of the family Pasteurellaceae. Bacteria from this family cause zoonotic infections in humans, which manifest themselves as skin or soft-tissue infections after an animal bite. It has been known to cause serious disease in immunocompromised patients.
Delftia tsuruhatensis is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, catalase- and oxidase-positive, motile bacterium from the Comamonadaceae family. It was first isolated from a wastewater treatment plant in Japan in 2003. D. tsuruhatensis is an opportunistic and emergent pathogen. All documented human infections are healthcare-associated.
Achromobacter denitrificans is a Gram-negative, oxidase- and catalase-positive, strictly aerobic, ubiquitous, motile bacterium with peritrichous flagella from the genus Achromobacter which was isolated from soil and can cause human infections.
Bordetella trematum is a species of Gram-negative bacteria identified in 1996 by comparison of 10 strains of B. trematum against other well characterized Bordetella and Alcaligenes species. The term trema refers to something pierced or penetrated, or to a gap. "Trematum" pertains to open things, and refers to the presence of bacteria in wounds and other exposed parts of the body. Strain LMG 13506T is the reference strain for this species.
Francisella novicida is a bacterium of the Francisellaceae family, which consist of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. These bacteria vary from small cocci to rod-shaped, and are most known for their intracellular parasitic capabilities. In this family, six species have been identified; however, the species F. novicida is under intense scrutiny. Though some believe it should be classified with its own species designation, others argue it should be reclassified as a subspecies under F. tularensis. If it were to be classified as a subspecies, F. novicida would join the other known subspecies including F. t. tularensis and F. t. holarctica. Biochemical assays for identifying F. tularensis subtypes and strains are not ideal because the results are often non-definitive and subject to variation, therefore these assays should only be considered as supplementary tests for identification of Francisella species and subspecies. Several strains of F. novicida or F. novicida-like bacteria have been described, and these strains may be resolved by PCR-based methods.
Dialister pneumosintes is a nonfermentative, anaerobic, gram-negative rod that grows with small, circular, transparent, shiny, smooth colonies on blood agar. D. pneumosintes has been recovered from deep periodontal pockets, but little is known about the relationship between the organism and destructive periodontal disease.
Psychrobacter faecalis is an aerobic, Gram-negative, oxidase-positive, catalase-positive, non-spore forming bacillus initially isolated from a bioaerosol originating from pigeon faeces.
Roseomonas is a genus of Gram negative bacteria. The cells are coccoid rods when viewed microscopically. Certain species are known to be opportunistic infections for humans.
Actinobacillus equuli is a gram-negative, non-motile rod bacteria from the family Pasteurellaceae.