''Exercitatus'' is a genus of

Gram-negative Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that, unlike gram-positive bacteria, do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. Their defining characteristic is that their cell envelope consists ...

bacteria belonging to the family

Pasteurellaceae The Pasteurellaceae comprise a large family of Gram-negative bacteria. Most members live as commensals on mucosal surfaces of birds and mammals, especially in the upper respiratory tract. Pasteurellaceae are typically rod-shaped, and are a notabl ...

. It was first described in 2023 following the taxonomic reclassification of bacterial strains previously grouped within Bisgaard taxa 6 and 10.

Etymology

The name ''Exercitatus'' derives from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word meaning "trained" or "disciplined", referring metaphorically to the careful, systematic classification process involved in defining this genus.

Characteristics

Members of the genus ''Exercitatus'' exhibit the following traits: * Gram-negative *

Facultatively anaerobic A facultative anaerobic organism is an organism that makes ATP by aerobic respiration if oxygen is present, but is capable of switching to fermentation if oxygen is absent. Some examples of facultatively anaerobic bacteria are ''Staphylococcus' ...

* Non-motile * Rod-shaped or pleomorphic *

Oxidase In biochemistry, an oxidase is an oxidoreductase (any enzyme that catalyzes a redox reaction) that uses dioxygen (O2) as the electron acceptor. In reactions involving donation of a hydrogen atom, oxygen is reduced to water (H2O) or hydrogen peroxid ...

-positive *

Catalase Catalase is a common enzyme found in nearly all living organisms exposed to oxygen (such as bacteria, plants, and animals) which catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. It is a very important enzyme in protecting ...

-positive * Grow on blood agar, forming small, non-

haemolytic Hemolysis or haemolysis (), also known by several other names, is the rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma). Hemolysis may occur in vivo ...

colonies

Habitat and isolation

Bacteria belonging to the genus ''Exercitatus'' have been isolated predominantly from birds, notably from

respiratory tract The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respirato ...

samples. Prior to their formal description, these bacteria were referred to as Bisgaard taxa 6 and 10.

Taxonomy

The type species of the genus is '' Exercitatus varius''.

References

External links