Campylobacter jejuni is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in Europe and in the United States. The vast majority of cases occur as isolated events, not as part of recognized outbreaks. Active surveillance through the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) indicates that about 20 cases are diagnosed each year for each 100,000 people in the US, while many more cases are undiagnosed or unreported; the CDC estimates a total of 1.5 million infections every year. The European Food Safety Authority reported 246,571 cases in 2018, and estimated approximately nine million cases of human campylobacteriosis per year in the European Union.
Sulfur-reducing bacteria are microorganisms able to reduce elemental sulfur (S0) to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). These microbes use inorganic sulfur compounds as electron acceptors to sustain several activities such as respiration, conserving energy and growth, in absence of oxygen. The final product or these processes, sulfide, has a considerable influence on the chemistry of the environment and, in addition, is used as electron donor for a large variety of microbial metabolisms. Several types of bacteria and many non-methanogenic archaea can reduce sulfur. Microbial sulfur reduction was already shown in early studies, which highlighted the first proof of S0 reduction in a vibrioid bacterium from mud, with sulfur as electron acceptor and H2 as electron donor. The first pure cultured species of sulfur-reducing bacteria, Desulfuromonas acetoxidans, was discovered in 1976 and described by Pfennig Norbert and Biebel Hanno as an anaerobic sulfur-reducing and acetate-oxidizing bacterium, not able to reduce sulfate. Only few taxa are true sulfur-reducing bacteria, using sulfur reduction as the only or main catabolic reaction. Normally, they couple this reaction with the oxidation of acetate, succinate or other organic compounds. In general, sulfate-reducing bacteria are able to use both sulfate and elemental sulfur as electron acceptors. Thanks to its abundancy and thermodynamic stability, sulfate is the most studied electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration that involves sulfur compounds. Elemental sulfur, however, is very abundant and important, especially in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, hot springs and other extreme environments, making its isolation more difficult. Some bacteria – such as Proteus, Campylobacter, Pseudomonas and Salmonella – have the ability to reduce sulfur, but can also use oxygen and other terminal electron acceptors.
Peptostreptococcus is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria. The cells are small, spherical, and can occur in short chains, in pairs or individually. They typically move using cilia. Peptostreptococcus are slow-growing bacteria with increasing resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Peptostreptococcus is a normal inhabitant of the healthy lower reproductive tract of women.
Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a species of lactic acid bacteria associated with fermentation, under conditions of salinity and low temperatures. In some cases of vegetable and food storage, it was associated with pathogenicity. L. mesenteroides is approximately 0.5-0.7 µm in diameter and has a length of 0.7-1.2 µm, producing small grayish colonies that are typically less than 1.0 mm in diameter. It is facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive, non-motile, non-sporogenous, and spherical. It often forms lenticular coccoid cells in pairs and chains, however, it can occasionally forms short rods with rounded ends in long chains, as its shape can differ depending on what media the species is grown on. L. mesenteroides grows best at 30°C, but can survive in temperatures ranging from 10°C to 30°C. Its optimum pH is 5.5, but can still show growth in pH of 4.5-7.0.
Mycobacterium intermedium is a species of the phylum actinobacteria, belonging to the genus Mycobacterium.
Pseudomonas peli is a Gram-negative, non-fluorescent, non-sporulating, motile, rod-shaped bacterium isolated from a commercially available nitrifying inoculum used in aquaculture. The type strain is LMG 23201. After approximately 24 hours of growth at 28 °C in Tryptic Soy Agar medium, Pseudomonas peli colonies are 1–2 mm in diameter, beige to yellow in color and have non-uniform edges while the cells themselves are rod shaped with rounded ends. Cells are motile, do not form spores, are non-fluorescent and they have not been observed to grow anaerobically.
Pyrobaculum is a genus of the Thermoproteaceae.
Campylobacter upsaliensis is a gram negative bacteria in the Campylobacter genus. C. upsaliensis is found worldwide, and is a common cause of campylobacteriosis in humans, as well as gastroenteritis in dogs. Human infections are primarily associated with raw or undercooked meat and contaminated water sources, however there is some zoonotic risk associated with the spread from dogs. C. upsaliensis primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract as it damages gastrointestinal epithelial cells. There are many methods for detecting C.upsaliensis including PCR and ELISA, however there is no current gold standard in detection techniques. Infection is typically self limiting, however there is antimicrobial therapy available.
Streptococcus constellatus is a species of Streptococcus that is part of the normal flora in the oral cavity, urogenital region, and intestinal tract. However, it can frequently cause purulent infections in other parts of the body. DNA homology studies and 16S rRNA sequence analysis demonstrate S. constellatus belongs to the Streptococcus anginosus group along with Streptococcus intermedius and Streptococcus anginosus.
Staphylococcus succinus is a Gram-positive coccoid bacterium belonging to the genus Staphylococcus.
Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a thermophilic gram-positive bacterium, and a member of the Firmicutes phylum. It was first isolated from soil in Japan in 1983.
Campylobacter concisus is a Gram-negative, highly fastidious, mesophilic bacterium that grows under both anaerobic and microaerobic conditions with the presence of hydrogen significantly aiding growth. Motile, with either unipolar or bipolar flagella, the organisms have a characteristic spiral/corkscrew appearance and are oxidase-positive. Although the human oral cavity is the natural colonization site of the bacterium, C. concisus may also colonize the intestinal tract of some individuals. In particular, several studies have reported higher intestinal prevalence of C. concisus in patients with IBD compared to healthy controls, which has led to current speculation of the bacterium's implication in the induction of Crohn's disease.
Sutterella stercoricanis is a Gram-negative, oxidase- and catalase-negative, anaerobic and microaerophilic, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium from the genus Sutterella in the family of Sutterellaceae, which was isolated from dog faeces.
Campylobacter lari is a species of nalidixic acid-resistant, thermophilic, microaerophilic bacteria first isolated from human faeces. It shows anaerobic growth in the presence of trimethylamine N-oxide hydrochloride. Its type strain is NCTC 11352. It is commonly found in sea gulls. In humans, it has been involved in cases of enteritis, severe abdominal pain and terminal bacteremia.
Desulfobulbus propionicus is a Gram-negative, anaerobic chemoorganotroph. Three separate strains have been identified: 1pr3T, 2pr4, and 3pr10. It is also the first pure culture example of successful disproportionation of elemental sulfur to sulfate and sulfide. Desulfobulbus propionicus has the potential to produce free energy and chemical products.
Rhodoferax is a genus of Betaproteobacteria belonging to the purple nonsulfur bacteriarophic. Originally, Rhodoferax species were included in the genus Rhodocyclus as the Rhodocyclus gelatinous-like group. The genus Rhodoferax was first proposed in 1991 to accommodate the taxonomic and phylogenetic discrepancies arising from its inclusion in the genus Rhodocyclus. Rhodoferax currently comprises four described species: R. fermentans, R. antarcticus, R. ferrireducens, and R. saidenbachensis. R. ferrireducens, lacks the typical phototrophic character common to two other Rhodoferax species. This difference has led researchers to propose the creation of a new genus, Albidoferax, to accommodate this divergent species. The genus name was later corrected to Albidiferax. Based on geno- and phenotypical characteristics, A. ferrireducens was reclassified in the genus Rhodoferax in 2014. R. saidenbachensis, a second non-phototrophic species of the genus Rhodoferax was described by Kaden et al. in 2014.
Syntrophococcus sucromutans is a Gram-negative strictly anaerobic chemoorganotrophic Firmicutes. These bacteria can be found forming small chains in the habitat where it was first isolated, the rumen of cows. It is the type strain of genus Syntrophococcus and it has an uncommon one-carbon metabolic pathway, forming acetate from formate as a product of sugar oxidation.
Haloferax larsenii is a gram-negative, aerobic, neutrophilic, extremely halophilic archaeon. It was named in honor of Professor Helge Larsen, who pioneered research on halophiles.
Azotobacter salinestris is a Gram-negative, nitrogen-fixing bacterium; its specific name, salinestris, comes from the Latin words salinus meaning saline and estris which means "living in". It can be found living in soil or marine habitats as single cells or in chains of six to eight cells. This organism is motile at younger stages, but loses its flagella at older stages. This species is known for its potential use in bioremediation.
Bacteroides caccae is a saccharolytic gram-negative bacterium from the genus Bacteroides. They are obligate anaerobes first isolated from human feces in the 1980s. Prior to their discovery, they were known as the 3452A DNA homology group. The type strain is now identified as ATCC 43185.
