The Nitrobacteraceae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of
gram-negative
Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wa ...
,
aerobic bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: 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 am ...
. They include plant-associated bacteria such as ''
Bradyrhizobium
''Bradyrhizobium'' is a genus of Gram-negative soil bacteria, many of which fix nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is an important part of the nitrogen cycle. Plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen (N2); they must use nitrogen compounds such as nitrat ...
'', a genus of
rhizobia associated with some
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...
s. It also contains animal-associated bacteria such as ''
Afipia felis'', formerly thought to cause
cat-scratch disease. Others are free-living, such as ''
Rhodopseudomonas'', a
purple bacterium found in marine water and soils. The
strain ''Rhodopseudomonas palustris'' DX-1 can generate an
electric current
An electric current is a stream of charged particles, such as electrons or ions, moving through an electrical conductor or space. It is measured as the net rate of flow of electric charge through a surface or into a control volume. The movin ...
with no
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic ...
production, a trait being explored in the development of the
microbial fuel cell. The genus ''Afipia'' has also been found in the atmosphere, where it uses
methylsulfonylmethane as a carbon source.
[(page 3 and 5 of 6, quotes slightly edited).]
The bacteria of this family derive their energy from oxidizing
ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogeno ...
to
nitrite
The nitrite ion has the chemical formula . Nitrite (mostly sodium nitrite) is widely used throughout chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The nitrite anion is a pervasive intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in nature. The name nitrite also re ...
, or by oxidizing nitrite to
nitrate. They are commonly found in
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does in ...
and
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
.
Phylogeny
The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the
List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN).
The phylogeny is based on whole-genome analysis.
See also
*
Nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biolo ...
*
Nitrite
The nitrite ion has the chemical formula . Nitrite (mostly sodium nitrite) is widely used throughout chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The nitrite anion is a pervasive intermediate in the nitrogen cycle in nature. The name nitrite also re ...
*
Nitrate
References
External links
J.P. Euzéby: List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature - Family Nitrobacteraceae- cict.fr
Nitrobacteraceae- discoverlife.org
Nitrobacteraceae, Taxonomic Serial No.: 56-
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Nitrobacteraceae- online-medical-dictionary.org
Taxonomic Considerations of the Family ''Nitrobacteraceae'' Buchanan- sgmjournals.org
Nitrobacteraceae
{{Nitrobacteraceae-stub