Cytophaga

Cytophaga
Cytophaga image.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Bacteroidota
Class:	Cytophagia
Order:	Cytophagales
Family:	Cytophagaceae
Genus:	Cytophaga Winogradsky 1929 (Approved Lists 1980)
Species
C. hutchinsonii C. psychrophila

Cytophaga is a genus of Gram-negative, gliding, rod-shaped bacteria. This bacterium is commonly found in soil, and rapidly digests crystalline cellulose. ^[1] C. hutchinsonii is able to use its gliding motility to move quickly over surfaces. Although the mechanism for this is not known, there is a belief that the flagellum is not used. ^[1]

Species

The following are some species in Cytophaga:

• Cytophaga hutchinsonii — aerobic cellulolytic soil bacterium that is known for its ability to rapidly glide over surfaces. The mechanism of cellulose digestion is not fully known; however, it is known that C. hutchinsonii has multiple cell-associated cellulolytic enzymes. ^[2]

Species previously classified in Cytophaga:

• Flavobacterium psychrophila (previously: "Cytophaga psychrophila)" — causes peduncle or cold water disease in Brook trout; predisposed by subnormal water temperature.
• Flavobacterium columnare (previously: Cytophaga columnaris) — the cause of columnaris disease in salmonid fish, as associated with increased water temperature; it is characterized by white necrotic plaques overlaying skin ulcers; formerly called: Flexibacter columnaris.
• Flavobacterium johnsoniae (previously: Cytophaga johnsonae) — associated with false columnaris disease.
• Breznibacter xylanoticus (previously: Cytophaga xylanolytica ) — a gliding bacterium that dominates xylan degradation in freshwater environments ^{[3] [4]}

References

1. "Home - Cytophaga hutchinsonii ATCC 33406". genome.jgi.doe.gov. Retrieved 2025-07-24.
2. Zhu, Yongtao; McBride, Mark (2014). "Deletion of the Cytophaga hutchinsonii type IX secretion system gene sprP results in defects in glinding motility and cellulose utilization". Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 98 (2): 763–755. doi:10.1007/s00253-013-5355-2. PMID   24257839. S2CID   7288131.
3. García-López, Marina; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P.; Tindall, Brian J.; Gronow, Sabine; Woyke, Tanja; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Hahnke, Richard L.; Göker, Markus (2019). "Analysis of 1,000 Type-Strain Genomes Improves Taxonomic Classification of Bacteroidetes". Frontiers in Microbiology. 10: 2083. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02083 . ISSN   1664-302X. PMC   6767994 . PMID   31608019.
4. Haack, Sheridan Kidd; Breznak, John A. (1993-01-01). "Cytophaga xylanolytica sp. nov., a xylan-degrading, anaerobic gliding bacterium" . Archives of Microbiology. 159 (1): 6–15. Bibcode:1993ArMic.159....6H. doi:10.1007/BF00244257. ISSN   1432-072X. S2CID   21521895.

• Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary (3rd ed.). Elsevier. 2007.

External links

• Cytophaga at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase