Candidatus

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Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum cells dividing under SEM (c). Cryo-electron tomography image of a single cell (d). White arrows indicate large membrane vesicles. Scale bar = 1 mm (c) and 500 mm (d) Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum SEM Cryo.jpg
Candidatus Prometheoarchaeum syntrophicum cells dividing under SEM (c). Cryo-electron tomography image of a single cell (d). White arrows indicate large membrane vesicles. Scale bar = 1 μm (c) and 500 μm (d)

In prokaryote nomenclature, Candidatus (abbreviated Ca.; Latin for "candidate of Roman office") is used to name prokaryotic taxa that are well characterized but yet-uncultured. [1] Contemporary sequencing approaches, such as 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing or metagenomics, provide much information about the analyzed organisms and thus allow to identify and characterize individual species. However, the majority of prokaryotic species remain uncultivable and hence inaccessible for further characterization in in vitro study. The recent discoveries of a multitude of candidate taxa has led to candidate phyla radiation expanding the tree of life through the new insights in bacterial diversity.

Contents

Nomenclature

History

The initial International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) as well as early revisions did not account for the possibility of identifying prokaryotes which were not yet cultivable. Therefore, the term Candidatus was proposed in the context of a conference of the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, (ICSP, formerly International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology) in 1994 to initiate code revision. [2] Owing to rising numbers of Candidatus taxa associated with ongoing advances of sequencing technologies, the ICSP adopted the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes in 1996 by adding an appendix for Candidatus taxa [3] (Appendix 11 in the most recent version [4] ). However, the nomenclature of Candidatus taxa is still not covered by the general rules of the Prokaryotic Code leading to ongoing discussions and proposals for changing the current code in order to grant priority to Candidatus taxa. [5] [6]

Naming

Currently, the provisional status “Candidatus” may be used if the following information is provided:[ citation needed ]

  1. Genomic information [...] to determine the phylogenetic position of the organism.
  2. All information so far available on:
    1. structure and morphology
    2. physiology and metabolism
    3. reproductive features
    4. the natural environment in which the organism can be identified and
    5. any other available and suitable information. [4] :Appendix 11

The species name of an organism in the status of Candidatus consists of the word Candidatus, followed by an either a genus name with a specific epithet, or only a genus name, or only a specific epithet. Examples include CandidatusLiberobacter asiaticum; Candidatusmagnetobacterium; Candidatusintracellularis. A list of all Candidatus taxa (a Candidatus List) is kept by the Judicial Commission of the ICSP in cooperation with the editorial board of the IJSEM and is updated in appropriate intervals. [4] Once a Candidatus taxon has been cultivated successfully, the name has to be removed from this list and a new name has to be proposed in accordance with the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes.[ citation needed ]

Although the 1994 proposal and the later Code call for a Candidatus List to be maintained, work on curating names did not start until 2017, when a "No. 0" trial is published. The author found that 120 of the ~400 collected names would breach the Code should they become formally proposed. Common reasons are Latin errors, duplicate names, and non-Latin names. As a result, Candidatus Lists now also offer corrections for such names. Corrected names are given corrig. (for corrigendum ) in the authority field, [7] with some sources going further to cite the correction (e.g. "Ca. Karelsulcia" corrig. Moran et al. 2005 in Ogen et al. 2020). [8] Each published list, starting from No. 1, covers all known Candidatus names proposed in a given time period, plus any addendum for previous periods. [7] As of December 2022, the latest is Candidatus List No. 4, published November 2022, covering names proposed in 2021. [9] An unnumbered list was published in 2023 to deal with Candidatus phyla; future numbered lists will include phyla. [10]

SeqCode

The Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes Described from Sequence Data (SeqCode) of 2022 standardizes the publication of names in a system separate from the ICNP. Instead of requiring a type culture, the SeqCode requires a high-quality genome as the nomenclatural type, in effect offering a route to formalizing Candidatus names. It is produced by the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME), which is unrelated to the ICSP. [11] The SeqCode recognizes the priority of names, including Candidatus ones, published under ICNP before 2023. [12]

The SeqCode team initially wished to simply amend the ICNP to add such a system, but ICSP rejected the petitition, necessitating the creation of a separate code. [11]

Uncultivability

Environmental factors

There are several reasons for why many prokaryotic species do not grow in the lab many of which remain poorly understood. One of these reasons is the environment the species are recovered from which can be difficult to simulate in laboratory conditions. Many prokaryotes have highly specific growth requirements including the need for a specific nutrient composition, specific pH conditions, temperatures, atmospheric pressure or levels of oxygen. [13] Most commercially available growth media and incubation protocols poorly met these requirements making a comprehensive habitat assessment necessary in order to successfully isolate the bacteria of interest from environmental samples.[ citation needed ]

Species interaction

Most prokaryotic species do not live alone but rather in complex communities with other species from all kingdoms of life. As a consequence, many species depend on metabolites or signaling compounds of their neighboring species for their own cell growth. The identification of the required substances can be challenging but once identified a co-cultivation or addition of the specific compound can be used to potentially cultivate the species of interest.

Genome reduction

Many instances of species interaction are of symbiotic nature which is defined as an intimate, long-term relationship between two or more species which can be either mutualistic, neutral or harmful. [14] Depending on the location of the symbiont, the symbionts can be either ectosymbionts or endosymbionts. Drastic genome reduction through gene deletions has been observed in endosymbiotic bacteria which is thought to be owing to the fact that many genes become unnecessary in the sheltered host environment. This frequently affects genes for DNA repair and transcriptional regulation which makes it difficult to cultivate these organisms outside their host. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korarchaeota</span> Proposed phylum within the Archaea

The Korarchaeota is a proposed phylum within the Archaea. The name is derived from the Greek noun koros or kore, meaning young man or young woman, and the Greek adjective archaios which means ancient. They are also known as Xenarchaeota. The name is equivalent to Candidatus Korarchaeota, and they go by the name Xenarchaeota or Xenarchaea as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chlamydiota</span> Phylum of bacteria

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<i>Candidatus Pelagibacter communis</i> Species of bacterium

"Candidatus Pelagibacter", with the single species "Ca. P. communis", was isolated in 2002 and given a specific name, although it has not yet been described as required by the bacteriological code. It is an abundant member of the SAR11 clade in the phylum Alphaproteobacteria. SAR11 members are highly dominant organisms found in both salt and fresh water worldwide and were originally known only from their rRNA genes, first identified in the Sargasso Sea in 1990 by Stephen Giovannoni's laboratory at Oregon State University and later found in oceans worldwide. "Ca. P. communis" and its relatives may be the most abundant organisms in the ocean, and quite possibly the most abundant bacteria in the entire world. It can make up about 25% of all microbial plankton cells, and in the summer they may account for approximately half the cells present in temperate ocean surface water. The total abundance of "Ca. P. communis" and relatives is estimated to be about 2 × 1028 microbes.

The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) or Prokaryotic Code, formerly the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB) or Bacteriological Code (BC), governs the scientific names for Bacteria and Archaea. It denotes the rules for naming taxa of bacteria, according to their relative rank. As such it is one of the nomenclature codes of biology.

Halobacteriaceae is a family in the order Halobacteriales and the domain Archaea. Halobacteriaceae represent a large part of halophilic Archaea, along with members in two other methanogenic families, Methanosarcinaceae and Methanocalculaceae. The family consists of many diverse genera that can survive extreme environmental niches. Most commonly, Halobacteriaceae are found in hypersaline lakes and can even tolerate sites polluted by heavy metals. They include neutrophiles, acidophiles, alkaliphiles, and there have even been psychrotolerant species discovered. Some members have been known to live aerobically, as well as anaerobically, and they come in many different morphologies. These diverse morphologies include rods in genus Halobacterium, cocci in Halococcus, flattened discs or cups in Haloferax, and other shapes ranging from flattened triangles in Haloarcula to squares in Haloquadratum, and Natronorubrum. Most species of Halobacteriaceae are best known for their high salt tolerance and red-pink pigmented members, but there are also non-pigmented species and those that require moderate salt conditions. Some species of Halobacteriaceae have been shown to exhibit phosphorus solubilizing activities that contribute to phosphorus cycling in hypersaline environments. Techniques such as 16S rRNA analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization have been major contributors to taxonomic classification in Halobacteriaceae, partly due to the difficulty in culturing halophilic Archaea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campylobacterota</span> Class of bacteria

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The International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP), formerly the International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology (ICSB), is the body that oversees the nomenclature of prokaryotes, determines the rules by which prokaryotes are named and whose Judicial Commission issues Opinions concerning taxonomic matters, revisions to the Bacteriological Code, etc.


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    Further reading