| Kocuria rhizophila | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Bacillati |
| Phylum: | Actinomycetota |
| Class: | Actinomycetes |
| Order: | Micrococcales |
| Family: | Micrococcaceae |
| Genus: | Kocuria |
| Species: | K. rhizophila |
| Binomial name | |
| Kocuria rhizophila Kovács et al. 1999 | |
| Type strain | |
| ATCC BAA-50 CIP 105972 DSM 11926 IFO 16319 JCM 11653 NBRC 16319 TA68 | |
Kocuria rhizophila is a soil dwelling Gram positive bacterium in the genus Kocuria . It is used in industry for antimicrobial testing and in food preparation. The genome of K. rhizophila BT304 from the bovine intestine is a 2.76-Mb circular chromosome with over 2,300 coding sequences, demonstrating notable metabolic versatility. The type strain of K. rhizophila contains only a small number of secondary-metabolite biosynthesis genes, suggesting it is specialized for primary metabolism rather than complex metabolite production. However, several studies show the ability of this species to break down complex compounds. [MR1.1] Several strains of Kocuria rhizophila contain genes for aromatic-compound degradation through the phenylacetate (PAA) pathway, suggesting they can break down plant-derived or pollutant aromatics. A keratin-degrading strain of K. rhizophila was found to break down about 52% of chicken-feather keratin in four days at 25 °C, showing potential for keratin-waste biodegradation. K. rhizophila has been identified as an opportunistic pathogen, including a documented case of persistent bloodstream infection associated with a contaminated central venous catheter. [
