MCB 150 Lecture Hand-out # 4

Phylogenetic Groups of Bacteria

Microbial diversity may be defined in terms of the following:

a. Morphological diversity
b. Structural diversity
c. Metabolic diversity Functional diversity
d. Ecological diversity
e. Behavioral diversity
f. Phylogenetic diversity

Microbial functional diversity, however, often does not correspond with phylogenetic diversity!
Reasons:
a. gene loss
b. convergent evolution
c. horizontal gene transfer

Phylogenetic tree of Bacteria:

Functional Groups:
 Survey of Some Groups of Bacteria

I. Aquifex-Hydrogenobacter group
- extremely thermophilic
- chemoautotrophic

Representative organisms:
Aquifex pyrophilus
- a blue filamentous bacterium
- grows optimally at 850 to 950C
- obligate chemoautotroph

Hydrogenobacter thermophilus
- grows at 750C
- oxidizes H2 using O2

II. Thermodesulfobacterium
- thermophilic, sulfur reducer
- opt. growth T is 700C
- strict anaerobe

III. Thermotoga and Relatives

- thermophilic, anaerobic fermentative rods
- cells enclosed in a loose sheath

Representative organisms:
Thermotoga, Thermosipho, Petrotoga, Geotoga

IV. Green nonsulfur bacteria

- also called green filamentous bacteria capable of
gliding motility
- grows either aerobically or anaerobically
- thermophilic

Representative organisms:
Chloroflexus thermophilic
- Motile by gliding
Heliothrix possesses bacteriochlorophyl a only
Oscillochloris phototrophic under anaerobic conditions but capable of
chemoorganotrophic growth under anaerobic conditions in the dark

V. Deinococci and Relatives

- Members with atypical cell wall
- some are radiation resistant
- some members are thermophilic
 Representative organisms:
Deinococcus radiodurans aerobic mesophilic heterotroph
- extremely resistant to radiation
Thermus aquaticus thermophilic heterotrophic rods
- used as a source of heat-stable enzymes
VI. Proteobacteria
- phenotypically diverse
- previously referred to as purple bacteria
- divided into six separate lineages

1. Alpha Proteobacteria- extremely diverse morphology and physiology

Representative genera: Agrobacterium-Insert a plasmid into plant cells, inducing a tumor
Caulobacter -Stalked bacteria found in lakes ,
Rhizobium -Fix nitrogen in the roots of plants

2. Beta Proteobacteria- diverse morphology and physiology

Representative genera: Thiobacillus- chemoautotrophic, oxidize sulfur
Neisseria -Chemoheterotrophic, cocci
N. meningitidis
N. gonorrhoeae
Nitrifying bacteria
Ammonia oxidizer- Nitrosococcus
Nitrite oxidizer- Nitrobacter

3. Gamma Proteobacteria - involves numerous families of diverse bacteria

- further subdivided into two rRNA superfamilies
Representative genera: Pseudomonas- some are opportunistic pathogens
- Metabolically diverse
- Polar flagellation
Azotobacter and Azomonas - aerobic nitrogen fixing bacteria
Legionella -Found in streams, warm-water pipes, cooling towers
L. pneumophilia
Vibrionales: Found in coastal water
Vibrio cholerae causes cholera
V. parahaemolyticus causes gastroenteritis
Enterobacteriales (enterics): Peritrichous flagellated, facultatively
Anaerobic
Enterobacter, Escherichia, Salmonella, Proteus

4. Delta Proteobacteria small collection of genera with diverse energy-yielding metabolic

activities
Representative genera:
1. Dissimilatory sulfate reducers
- Use S instead of O2 as final electron acceptor
Desulfuromonas, Desulfovibrio
2. Predatory bacterium
- feed on other bacteria
Bdellovibrio
 3. Aerobic, gliding bacteria - with complex life cycle
Myxococcus (form myxospores)

5. Epsilon Proteobacteria spiral shape at some time in their life cycle

- fairly homogenous in phenotypes
- some members are chemolithotrophic while others are
Chemoorganotrophic
- found to inhabit extreme environments as well as
gastrointestinal tracts of animals
Representative genera: Campylobacter, Helocobacter, Thiovolum(sulfur oxidizer)

6. Zeta Proteobacteria -found in estuarine and marine habitats associated with

opposing steep redox gradients of reduced (ferrous) iron and oxygen
- members are iron-oxidizing neutrophilic chemolithoautotroph
Representative organism: Mariprofundus ferrooxydans

VII. Gram Positive Bacteria divided into two evolutionary lineages based on mole % G+C
Representative organisms: Clostridial lineage low mole % G+C
Firmicutes
Clostridium, Bacillus endospore formers
Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus non endospore formers
Mendosicutes
Mycoplasma pleiomorphic, no cell wall
Actinomycete lineage high mole % G+C
Corynebacterium, Arthrobacter, Mycobacterium
Streptomyces, Frankia, Nocardia

VIII. Cyanobacteria photosynthetic, oxygen evolving bacteria

Representative organisms: Cyanobacteria formerly known as blue green algae
- contain chlorophyll a and phycobiliproteins
Chroococcus, Pleurocapsa, Nostoc, Oscillatoria
Oxychlorobacteria with chlorophyll a and b but no
Phycobiliproteins
Prochloron, Prochlorothrix

IX. Chlamydia obligate, intracellular parasites of animal cells

- lack peptidoglycan but with a protein cell wall
Representative organisms: Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydophila pneumonia, C. psittaci

X. Planctomycetes - lack peptidoglycan and contain a protein cell wall

- free-living aquatic oligotrophs that divide by budding
- all members of the group contain internal membrane- defined
compartmentalization
Representative organisms: Planctomyces, Gemmeta

XI. Verrucomicrobia
- morphologically unique group of bacteria having multiple projecting prosthecae
Representative Genus: Verrucomicrobium
XII. Bacteroides and Cytophaga group
1. Bacteroides and relatives- obligately anaerobic non-sporing rods
- commensals in large intestine

2. Flavobacteria and relatives- obligately aerobic, non-motile, pigmented rods

- common in aquatic environment
- many are psychrotolerant
(F. psychrophilum cold-water disease in fish)

3. Cytophaga and relatives- aerobic, chemoorganotrophic, gliding bacteria

- degrade a wide variety of macromolecules including cellulose
- common in soil, plant litter, dung

XIII. Acidobacteria
- gram-negative chemoorganotrophs
- aerobic
- encapsulated (extremely resistant to drying)
- slow growth rate
- majority are not yet cultured
- common in acidic soils

Representative Genera: Acidobacterium capsulatum

Geothrix fermentans

XIV. Green Sulfur Bacteria - anoxygenic phoautotrophs (S0, H2S, H2 as e donor)

- with light harvesting pigments in chlorosomes
- obligate anaerobes
- form consortia with chemoorganotrophic bacteria
Representative organisms: Chlorobium either grass green or chocolate brown in color
Ancalochloris cells with irregular star-like shape with prosthecae

XV. Spirochetes - helical cells with central axial filaments

- exhibit corkscrew motility
Representative organisms: Treponema host associated spirochete
Leptospira strictly aerobic whose cells are thin, finely coiled and
bent at the end into a semicircular hook
Cristispira symbiotic spirochetes associated with certain mollusks