''Metaplanococcus'' is a genus of

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 ...

or gram-variable, cocci or short rod-shaped bacteria in the family ''

Caryophanaceae The ''Caryophanaceae'' is a family of Gram-positive bacteria. In 2020, the now defunct family ''Planococcaceae'' was merged into ''Caryophanaceae'' to rectify a nomenclature anomaly. The type genus of this family is ''Caryophanon.'' The family ' ...

'' from the order Caryophanales''.'' The type species of this genus is ''Metaplanococcus flavidus.'' Members of ''Metaplanococcus'' are previously species belonging to ''Planococcus.'' Instead of branching with species from ''Planococcus'', this species and an unnamed ''Planomicrobium'' species formed a monophyletic branch in various phylogenetic trees constructed based on conserved genome sequences, indicating their phylogenetic relatedness. The family ''

'' encompassed many branching anomalies such as this one, partially due to the reliance on 16S rRNA sequences as a method for classification, which is known to have low resolution power and give differing results depending on the algorithm used. In 2020, a comparative genomic study emended the family, resulting in the establishment of three new genera, including ''Metaplanococcus''. The name ''Metaplanococcus'' is derived from the Greek adjective ''meta'', translating into "besides" and the Latin term ''Planococcus'', referring the genus name. Together, ''Metaplanococcus'' can be translated as a genus besides ''Planococcus''.

Biochemical characteristics and molecular signatures

Source: Members of this genus motile by means of a single polar flagellum. 17

conserved signature indels Conserved signature inserts and deletions (CSIs) in protein sequences provide an important category of molecular markers for understanding phylogenetic relationships. CSIs, brought about by rare genetic changes, provide useful phylogenetic markers ...

(CSIs) were identified through genomic analyses as uniquely present in this genus in the following proteins: ABC transporter substrate-binding protein, methionine–tRNA ligase, MetQ/NlpA family ABC transporter substrate-binding protein, ABC transporter permease, spore protease YyaC, N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosaminyl-5′L-malate synthase BshA, orotidine-5-phosphate decarboxylase, and phospho-N-acetylmuramoyl-pentapeptide-transferase. These CSIs provide a reliable molecular means for distinguishing members of ''Metaplanococcus'' from other genera in the family ''Caryophanaceae'' and all other bacteria.

Taxonomy

''Metaplanococcus'', as of 2021, contains one species with a validly published name. This genus was identified as a

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

clade and phylogenetically unrelated to other species in the family ''Caryophanaceae'' in studies examining the taxonomic relationships within the family.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q107298869 Bacillales Bacteria genera

Biochemical characteristics and molecular signatures

Taxonomy

See also

References