Providencia rettgeri
Classification
Domain: Bacteria Phylum: Pseudomonadota Class: Gammaproteobacteria Order: Enterobacterales Family: Morganellaceae Genus: Providencia Species P. rettgeri
Providencia rettgeri
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NCBI: Taxonomy |
Providencia rettgeri
Description and Significance
P. rettgeri is a gram-negative bacterium which appears as a rod-shaped cell with flagella. P. rettgeri exists in habitats such as soil, water, or the intestinal tract of animals and humans. P. rettgeri is important because it can cause infections in animals or humans and play a role in soil fertility. Providencia strains have been tied to urinary tract infections, and Providencia rettgeri has been studied to be causes of nosocomial diseases due to their biofilm production and resistance to mainstream antibiotics.
Genome Structure
Providencia rettgeri has a genome that ranges from 4 to 5 million base pairs and is a single circular chromosome. It has an average G-C content of 41.7 percent and 4500 coding regions. It was sampled in 2013 from a 58 year old female urine sample. It has a genome that consists of many methods of adaptability, through mechanisms or pathways. Transposable elements and horizontal gene transfer allow the genetic information to be moved in bacterial organisms, but these mechanisms lead to antibacterial resistance in P. rettgeri. Providencia species are also able to phenotype switch which leads to rapid evolution, and P. rettgeri is no exception.
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Providencia rettgeri is a typical bacterial cell with a cell membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, and nucleoid. P. rettgeri also has a flagella for mobility. P. rettgeri has the ability for aerobic and anaerobic respiration, but is mainly anaerobic, and gathers energy through carbon sources. P. rettgeri produces enzymes that contribute to its resistance.
Ecology and Pathogenesis
Providencia rettgeri can establish symbiotic relationships with plants, contributing to soil fertility. P. rettgeri has biogeochemical significance because it affects nutrient cycling in ecosystems. It can cause infections in animals, humans, and plants. Providencia rettgeri infection in human hosts can cause Urinary Tract Infections, with symptoms from burning or pain while urinating and cramping or pressure in the groin or lower abdomen. Because of P. rettgeri being a biofilm producer, it is a threat to infect catheters. It is also a urease producing pathogen which makes it a threatening bacteria especially in hospitals.
Many studies have found that it has major health implications in catheters. Prolonged catheterization has led to infections of P. rettgeri in hospitalized individuals. This nosocomial infection is becoming an increasing problem for this bacterium due to its increased resistance to many antibiotics. Studies have found substantial increases in resistance and believe that further tests should be done to assess resistance in the future.
References
Author
Page authored by Sam McEntire and Mia Meiers, student of Prof. Jay Lennon at IndianaUniversity.
