Vitreoscilla

Vitreoscilla is a genus of Gram-negative aerobic bacterium.[1] The bacterial haemoglobin (VHb) was first discovered from Vitreoscilla, and VHb is found to have a wide range of biological and biotechnological applications including promotion of cell growth, protein synthesis, metabolite productivity, respiration, cellular detoxification, fermentation, and biodegradation.[2]

Vitreoscilla
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Bacteria
Phylum:
Proteobacteria
Class:
Betaproteobacteria
Order:
Neisseriales
Family:
Neisseriaceae
or Vitreoscillaceae
Genus:
Vitreoscilla

Etymology

The generic name is derived from the Latin adjective vitreus, which means clear or transparent; and the noun oscillum, meaning a swing. Thus Vitreoscilla is used to describe the bacterium as the transparent swing or oscillator, the way it exhibits locomotion.

Species

There are three valid species under the genus, namely[3]

  • Vitreoscilla beggiatoides Pringsheim 1949 (type species)
  • Vitreoscilla filiformis (ex Pringsheim 1951) Strohl et al. 1986
  • Vitreoscilla stercoraria Pringsheim 1951

Structure

Members of Vitreoscilla are obligate aerobic bacteria, which are morphologically colourless filaments that contain cells with diameters of 1-3 μm and 1-12 μm long. Each filament may contain from 1 to 40 cells. Locomotion is by gliding, and no special locomotor organelles are present. The cell walls are composed of the amino acids alanine, glutamate, and diaminopimelic acid, with approximate molar ratios of 2:1:1.[4][5]

Importance

Vitreoscilla bacteria have a unique property in that they produces a type of haemoglobin, VHb. This molecule unlike classic haemoglobin is composed only of a single globin molecule.[6] VHb is known to have a wide variety of functions including improving cell growth, protein synthesis, enhanced metabolism, nitric oxide detoxification, increase respiration and production of ethanol.[2] Some of these properties have been exploited as potential benefits in biotechnology and industry.[7][8]

See also

References
  1. Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA, eds. (1989). Approved Lists of Bacterial Names (Amended). Washington, DC: ASM Press. ISBN 978-1-55581-014-6. PMID 20806452.
  2. Stark BC, Dikshit KL, Pagilla KR (2011). "Recent advances in understanding the structure, function, and biotechnological usefulness of the hemoglobin from the bacterium Vitreoscilla". Biotechnol Lett. 33 (9): 1705–1714. doi:10.1007/s10529-011-0621-9. PMID 21603987.
  3. Euzéby JP. "List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature - Genus Vitreoscilla". LPSN. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  4. Costerton JW, Murray RG, Robinow CF (1961). "Observations on the motility and the structure of Vitreoscilla". Can J Microbiol. 7: 329–339. doi:10.1139/m61-040. PMID 13695850.
  5. Fackrell H (1998). "Vitreoscilla". uwindsor.ca. University of Windsor. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  6. Stark BC, Dikshit KL, Pagilla KR (2012). "The Biochemistry of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin". Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 3 (4): e201210002. doi:10.5936/csbj.201210002. PMC 3962134.
  7. Yu H, Shen Z (1999). "Progress in research of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin and Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene". Wei Sheng Wu Xue Bao. 39 (5): 478–482. PMID 12555532.
  8. Isarankura-Na-Ayudhya C, Panpumthong P, Tangkosakul T, Boonpangrak S, Prachayasittikul V (2008). "Shedding light on the role of Vitreoscilla hemoglobin on cellular catabolic regulation by proteomic analysis". Int J Biol Sci. 4 (2): 71–82. doi:10.7150/ijbs.4.71. PMC 2267286. PMID 18345284.
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