Classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinomycetota
Class: Actinomycetia
Order: Micrococcales
Family: Micrococcaceae
Species
Kocuria rhizophila
Description and Significance
Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why you think it is important.
Genome Structure
Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence?
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology and Pathogenesis
Habitat; symbiosis; biogeochemical significance; contributions to environment.
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.
(editing in progress)
Kocuria Rhizophila is adapted to live in is the rhizosphere, the soil surrounding plant roots[1]. K. rhizophila has been identified alongside and inside plant roots from a wide variety of environments including maize, Oxalis corniculata, Panicum turgidum, and Typha angustifolia[6,7,9,2].
K. rhizophila has been identified as a member of a marine biofilm on a ship hull[11]. TheK. rhizophila isolated from this biofilm produced EPS with a higher carbohydrate and protein content than the other bacteria isolated from the same biofilm[11]. It has also been identified in Domiati cheese, a type of soft white salty cheese, among other salt-tolerant bacteria[14].
Kocuria Rhizophila has also been found to be an opportunistic pathogen. The isolation along with the significance of this bacteria warrants great caution[12]. While it’s presence does warrant caution, K. Rhizophila’s residency does not confirm infection[12]. K. Rhizophila is as normal as a flora of skin and mucous membranes[12]. K. Rhizophila is ignored as a contaminant by laboratories because it is considered as a non pathogenic bacteria[12]. While it can be found in people and animals, it can be found to cause infection of pancreatitis and sepsis[12].
References
(editing in progress)
1 Takarada, H., Sekine, M., Kosugi, H., Matsuo, Y., Fujisawa, T., Omata, S., Kishi, E., Shimizu, A., Tsukatani, N., Tanikawa, S., Fujita, N., & Harayama, S. (2008). Complete Genome Sequence of the Soil Actinomycete Kocuria rhizophila. Journal of Bacteriology, 190(12), 4139–4146.
2 Kovacs, G., J. Burghardt, S. Pradella, P. Schumann, E. Stackebrandt, and K. Marialigeti.1999. Kocuria palustris sp. nov. and Kocuria rhizophila sp. nov., isolated from the rhizoplane of the narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia). Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol.49:167-173.
3 Hussain, A., Amna, Kamran, M. A., Javed, M. T., Hayat, K., Farooq, M. A., Ali, N., Ali, M., Manghwar, H., Jan, F., & Chaudhary, H. J. (2019). Individual and combinatorial application of Kocuria rhizophila and citric acid on phytoextraction of multi-metal contaminated soils by Glycine max L. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 159, 23–33.
4 Tang, J. S., & Gillevet, P. M. (2003). Reclassification of ATCC 9341 from Micrococcus luteus to Kocuria rhizophila. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 53(4), 995–997.
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6 Guesmi, S., Pujic, P., Nouioui, I., Dubost, A., Najjari, A., Ghedira, K., Igual, J. M., Miotello, G., Cherif, A., Armengaud, J., Klenk, H. P., Normand, P., & Sghaier, H. (2021). Ionizing-radiation-resistant Kocuria rhizophila PT10 isolated from the Tunisian Sahara xerophyte Panicum turgidum: Polyphasic characterization and proteogenomic arsenal. Genomics, 113(1), 317–330.
7 Li, X., Sun, P., Zhang, Y., Jin, C., & Guan, C. (2020). A novel PGPR strain Kocuria rhizophila Y1 enhances salt stress tolerance in maize by regulating phytohormone levels, nutrient acquisition, redox potential, ion homeostasis, photosynthetic capacity and stress-responsive genes expression. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 174, 104023.
8 Kandi, V., Palange, P., Vaish, R., Bhatti, A. B., Kale, V., Kandi, M. R., & Bhoomagiri, M. R. (2016). Emerging Bacterial Infection: Identification and Clinical Significance of Kocuria Species. Cureus.
9 Afridi, M. S., van Hamme, J. D., Bundschuh, J., Sumaira, Khan, M. N., Salam, A., Waqar, M., Munis, M. F. H., & Chaudhary, H. J. (2021). Biotechnological approaches in agriculture and environmental management - bacterium Kocuria rhizophila 14ASP as heavy metal and salt- tolerant plant growth- promoting strain. Biologia, 76(10), 3091–3105.
10 Fujita, K., Hagishita, T., Kurita, S., Kawakura, Y., Kobayashi, Y., Matsuyama, A., & Iwahashi, H. (2006). The cell structural properties of Kocuria rhizophila for aliphatic alcohol exposure. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 39(3), 511–518.
11 S., K., Raghavan, V. (2018). Isolation and characterization of marine biofilm forming bacteria from a ship’s hull. Frontiers in Biology, 13(3), 208–214.
12 Becker, K., Rutsch, F., Uekötter, A., Kipp, F., König, J., Marquardt, T., Peters, G., & von Eiff, C. (2008). Kocuria rhizophila adds to the emerging spectrum of micrococcal species involved in human infections. Journal of clinical microbiology, 46(10), 3537–3539.
13 Moissenet, D., Becker, K., Mérens, A., Ferroni, A., Dubern, B., & Vu-Thien, H. (2012). Persistent Bloodstream Infection with Kocuria rhizophila Related to a Damaged Central Catheter. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 50(4), 1495–1498.
14 El-Baradei, G., Delacroix-Buchet, A., & Ogier, J. C. (2007). Biodiversity of Bacterial Ecosystems in Traditional Egyptian Domiati Cheese. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 73(4), 1248–1255.
15 ANANG, D. M., RUSUL, G., RADU, S., BAKAR, J., & BEUCHAT, L. R. (2006). Inhibitory Effect of Oxalic Acid on Bacterial Spoilage of Raw Chilled Chicken. Journal of Food Protection, 69(8), 1913–1919.
Author
Page authored by Timothy Biewer-Heisler, Joseph Bell, and Linnaea Awdey; students of Prof. Jay Lennon at IndianaUniversity.
