Actinobacteria

Jump to navigation Jump to search
Actinobacteria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinobacteria
Lynn Margulis
Class: Actinobacteria
Subclasses

Acidimicrobidae
Actinobacteridae
Coriobacteridae
Rubrobacteridae
Sphaerobacteridae

WikiDoc Resources for Actinobacteria

Articles

Most recent articles on Actinobacteria

Most cited articles on Actinobacteria

Review articles on Actinobacteria

Articles on Actinobacteria in N Eng J Med, Lancet, BMJ

Media

Powerpoint slides on Actinobacteria

Images of Actinobacteria

Photos of Actinobacteria

Podcasts & MP3s on Actinobacteria

Videos on Actinobacteria

Evidence Based Medicine

Cochrane Collaboration on Actinobacteria

Bandolier on Actinobacteria

TRIP on Actinobacteria

Clinical Trials

Ongoing Trials on Actinobacteria at Clinical Trials.gov

Trial results on Actinobacteria

Clinical Trials on Actinobacteria at Google

Guidelines / Policies / Govt

US National Guidelines Clearinghouse on Actinobacteria

NICE Guidance on Actinobacteria

NHS PRODIGY Guidance

FDA on Actinobacteria

CDC on Actinobacteria

Books

Books on Actinobacteria

News

Actinobacteria in the news

Be alerted to news on Actinobacteria

News trends on Actinobacteria

Commentary

Blogs on Actinobacteria

Definitions

Definitions of Actinobacteria

Patient Resources / Community

Patient resources on Actinobacteria

Discussion groups on Actinobacteria

Patient Handouts on Actinobacteria

Directions to Hospitals Treating Actinobacteria

Risk calculators and risk factors for Actinobacteria

Healthcare Provider Resources

Symptoms of Actinobacteria

Causes & Risk Factors for Actinobacteria

Diagnostic studies for Actinobacteria

Treatment of Actinobacteria

Continuing Medical Education (CME)

CME Programs on Actinobacteria

International

Actinobacteria en Espanol

Actinobacteria en Francais

Business

Actinobacteria in the Marketplace

Patents on Actinobacteria

Experimental / Informatics

List of terms related to Actinobacteria

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]


The Actinobacteria or Actinomycetes are a group of Gram-positive bacteria with high G+C ratio. They include some of the most common soil life, playing an important role in decomposition of organic materials, such as cellulose and chitin and thereby play a vital part in organic matter turnover and carbon cycle. Thus replenishing the supply of nutrients in the soil and is an important part of humus formation.

Actinobacteria are well known as secondary metabolite producers and hence of high pharmacological and commercial interest. In 1940 Selman Waksman discovered that the soil bacteria he was studying made actinomycin, a discovery which granted him a Nobel Prize. Since then hundreds of naturally occurring antibiotics have been discovered in these terrestrial microorganisms, especially from the genus Streptomyces.

Other Actinobacteria inhabit plants and animals, including a few pathogens, such as Mycobacterium, Corynebacterium, Nocardia, Rhodococcus and a few species of Streptomyces.

Genomes of 44 different strains of Actinobacteria from different genera are either already sequenced or underway right now.

Some Actinobacteria form branching filaments, which somewhat resemble the mycelia of the unrelated fungi, among which they were originally classified under the older name Actinomycetes. Most members are aerobic, but a few, such as Actinomyces israelii, can grow under anaerobic conditions. Unlike the Firmicutes, the other main group of Gram-positive bacteria, they have DNA with a high GC-content and some Actinomycetes species produce external spores.

Representative genera include:

References

  • Stackebrandt E, Rainey FA, and Ward-Rainey NL (1997). Proposal for a new hierarchic classification system, Domingus classis nov. Int J Syst Bacteriol 47:479-491. Abstract

External links


Template:Bacterial diseases


de:Actinobacteria ga:Actinomycetes it:Actinobacteria nl:Straalzwammen no:Actinobacteria nn:Actinomyces uk:Актинобактерії

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Template:WH Template:WS