''Acaricomes phytoseiuli'' is a

bacterium Bacteria (; : bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the ...

which is thought to be a pathogen of the

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

Phytoseiulus persimilis ''Phytoseiulus'' is a genus of mites in the Phytoseiidae family. The species '' Phytoseiulus persimilis'' is a predatory mite, and is used for biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether p ...

''. ''A. phytoseiuli'' causes a set of symptoms in the mite, known as nonresponding syndrome or NR syndrome. Dramatic changes in longevity,

fecundity Fecundity is defined in two ways; in human demography, it is the potential for reproduction of a recorded population as opposed to a sole organism, while in population biology, it is considered similar to fertility, the capability to produc ...

, and behavior are characteristic with this disease. The bacteria accumulate in the lumen of the mite's digestive tract and cause extreme degeneration of its

epithelium Epithelium or epithelial tissue is a thin, continuous, protective layer of cells with little extracellular matrix. An example is the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Epithelial ( mesothelial) tissues line the outer surfaces of man ...

. Infection with ''A. phytoseiuli'' greatly reduces the mite's attraction to herbivore-induced plant volatiles, and the mite is more prone to leave patches with ample prey. The disease is transmitted horizontally by means of feces and debris. The strain that was isolated was “CSC” (=DSM 14247T=CCUG 49701T). Differences between strain CSC compared to its closest

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics () is the study of the evolutionary history of life using observable characteristics of organisms (or genes), which is known as phylogenetic inference. It infers the relationship among organisms based on empirical dat ...

neighbors are as follows: CSC uses

glucose-1-phosphate Glucose 1-phosphate (also called Cori ester) is a glucose molecule with a phosphate group on the 1'-carbon. It can exist in either the α- or β-anomeric form. Reactions of α-glucose 1-phosphate Catabolic In glycogenolysis, it is the direct pro ...

and L-glutamic acid, and its colonies are more yellow in appearance as compared to its phylogenetic neighbors which are more cream/white in color.

Cell morphology

Using a

phase-contrast microscope __NOTOC__ Phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) is an optical microscopy technique that converts phase shifts in light passing through a transparent specimen to brightness changes in the image. Phase shifts themselves are invisible, but become visibl ...

, cells appear as small, short rods, 0.5-0.8 x 1.0-1.5 μm in size. Optimal growth temperature for this organism is 25 °C, with growth observed within the temperature range 15- 30 °C. To the naked eye, on a

Trypticase soy agar Trypticase soy agar or Tryptic soy agar (TSA) is a growth medium, growth media for the microbiological culture, culturing of moderately to non fastidious organism , fastidious bacteria. It is a general-purpose, non-selective media providing eno ...

(TSA) plate, colonies appear smooth, circular, yellowish, and 1–2 mm in diameter. Growth can occur at pH values ranging from 6.0 to 9.5, with an optimal range of 6.0 to 8.0. ''A. phytoseiuli'' tests negative for the Oxidase reaction, but catalase activity is detectable. Trypticase soy agar (TSA) or trypticase soy broth (TSB) are the appropriate growth media for this organism. G+C content is 57.7%. ''Acaricomes phytoseiuli'' is a

Gram-positive In bacteriology, gram-positive bacteria are bacteria that give a positive result in the Gram stain test, which is traditionally used to quickly classify bacteria into two broad categories according to their type of cell wall. The Gram stain is ...

aerobic Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen. Aerobic may also refer to * Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity * Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise * Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cellu ...

, nonmotile and non-spore-forming organism. Its

peptidoglycan Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like layer (sacculus) that surrounds the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The sugar component consists of alternating ...

consists of the amino acids

lysine Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. Lysine contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form when the lysine is dissolved in water at physiological pH), an α-carboxylic acid group ( ...

alanine Alanine (symbol Ala or A), or α-alanine, is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an amine group and a carboxylic acid group, both attached to the central carbon atom which also carries a methyl group sid ...

, and

glutamic acid Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; known as glutamate in its anionic form) is an α- amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that the human body can ...

in the respective ratios: 1.0:4.9:1.0.

Cell wall A cell wall is a structural layer that surrounds some Cell type, cell types, found immediately outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. Primarily, it provides the cell with structural support, shape, protection, ...

sugars consist of

galactose Galactose (, ''wikt:galacto-, galacto-'' + ''wikt:-ose#Suffix 2, -ose'', ), sometimes abbreviated Gal, is a monosaccharide sugar that is about as sweetness, sweet as glucose, and about 65% as sweet as sucrose. It is an aldohexose and a C-4 epime ...

and

glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula , which is often abbreviated as Glc. It is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. It is mainly made by plants and most algae d ...

. The main fatty acids determined in this organism include 12-methyltetradecanoic acid and 14-methylhexadecanoic acid.

Genetics

Initial 16S

rRNA Ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA which is the primary component of ribosomes, essential to all cells. rRNA is a ribozyme which carries out protein synthesis in ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA is transcribed from ribosomal ...

and

fatty acid In chemistry, in particular in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated and unsaturated compounds#Organic chemistry, saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an ...

analyses show that the CSC strain was related to the genus ''

Arthrobacter ''Arthrobacter'' (from the Greek, "jointed small stick”) is a genus of bacterium, bacteria that is commonly found in soil. All species in this genus are Gram-positive obligate aerobes that are bacterial shape, rods during exponential growth and ...

''. However, subsequent phylogenetic analysis of strain CSC, various ''Arthrobacter'' isolates, and other strains related to CSC revealed an identity with ''Arthroboacter'' of only 94.8%. This finding indicated that the strain CSC was a new species in a new genus.

History

''Acaricomes phytoseiuli'' was originally isolated in the Netherlands from a diseased, surface-sterilized specimen of a female ''

'' Athias-Henriot mite.

Nomenclature

The etymology of the genus is N.L. masc. pl. n. ''acari'', the mites; L. masc. n. ''comes'', companion; N.L. masc. n. ''Acaricomes'', companion of mites. The etymology of the species is N.L. gen. masc. n. ''phytoseiuli'', of ''Phytoseiulus'', the nomenclatural genus name of the host mite.)

References

External links

Type strain of ''Acaricomes phytoseiuli'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4672120 Micrococcaceae Bacteria described in 2006