Gordonia rubripertincta

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Classification

Bacteria/Actinobacteria/Actinobacteria; Actinobacteridae; Actinomycetales; Corynebacterineae; Gordoniaceae [Others may be used. Use NCBI link to find]

Description and Significance

Gordonia rubripertincta, like most Actinobacteria, is gram positive bacterium (high GC content) that is typically found in soil. It is an aerobic organism and forms branching hyphae resembling mycelia [1]. G. rubripertincta is nonmotile, and partially acid-alcohol fast – its cell wall is rich in mycolic acid [2]. It is important because it has the ability to degrade hydrocarbons, specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which can act as mutagens, and is thus being research as a potential mechanism for the bioremediation of soil [3]. It can also act as a rare opportunistic pathogen, particularly in patients that are already immunocompromised. G. rubripertincta has the ability to produce mycobactin, a lipid factor that promotes growth [4].

Structure and Metabolism

The cell wall composition and chemotaxonomic properties of Gordonia relate it to the genera Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, and Skermania. It is nocarioform, meaning it has mycelial growth that fragments into rods and cocci. It does not generate spores. The colony morphology can vary greatly even within a species, but G. rubripertincta generally appears pink to orange in color. It has a cell wall categorized as Chemotype IV because it contains mycolic acids; the major sugar in the cell wall are arabinose and galactose. The DNA contains between 63-69% GC molecules.

G. rubripertincta uses an oxidative carbohydrate metabolism. It is one of the few isolated microbes that is capable of transforming s-triazines;it has the ability to produce an s-triazine hydrolase that deaminates melamine and dechlorinates atrazine. G. rubripertinct also produces a number of useful compounds including L-lysine and biosurfactants, which allow for the degradation of hydrophobic compounds [5].

Ecology and Pathogenesis

Natural habitat (soil, water, commensal of humans or animals?)
If relevant, how does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, or plant hosts? Important virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

References

[1] EXAMPLE ONLY. REPLACE WITH YOUR REFERENCES. Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. 2000. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 50: 489-500. http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/50/2/489

Author

Page authored by _____, student of Mandy Brosnahan, Instructor at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, MICB 3301/3303: Biology of Microorganisms.