''Sutterella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

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 ...

rod-shaped Bacterial cellular morphologies are the shapes that are characteristic of various types of bacteria and often key to their identification. Their direct examination under a light microscope enables the classification of these bacteria (and archae ...

, non-spore-forming,

Betaproteobacteria ''Betaproteobacteria'' are a class of Gram-negative bacteria, and one of the six classes of the phylum '' Pseudomonadota'' (synonym Proteobacteria). Metabolism The ''Betaproteobacteria'' comprise over 75 genera and 400 species. Together, they ...

whose

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

have been isolated from the human gastrointestinal tract as well as canine feces. The genus of the family Sutterellaceae currently encompasses 4 distinct species, though at least 5 additional species have been proposed that do not yet meet International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP) standards for classification. ''Sutterella'' are frequently referred to as

commensal Commensalism is a long-term biological interaction (symbiosis) in which members of one species gain benefits while those of the other species neither benefit nor are harmed. This is in contrast with mutualism, in which both organisms benefit f ...

in the context of human hosts, but are associated with inflammation, which has implications for a number of diseases.

Characteristics

''Sutterella'' cells are 0.5 to 1 μm wide and 1 to 3 μm long. They exhibit bile resistance, are nitrate reducers, do not hydrolyze urea, and do not possess the cytochrome c oxidase enzyme. They are only able to be cultured in

microaerophilic A microaerophile is a microorganism that requires environments containing lower levels of dioxygen than that are present in the atmosphere (i.e. < 21% O₂; typically 2–10% O₂) for optimal growth. A more r ...

and

anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: *Adhesive#Anaerobic, Anaerobic ad ...

environments. The ''Sutterella'' genome encodes the

sulfite reductase Sulfite reductases () are enzymes that participate in sulfur metabolism. They catalyze the reduction of sulfite to hydrogen sulfide and water. Electrons for the reaction are provided by a dissociable molecule of either NADPH, bound flavins, or f ...

MccA.

Human health

Imbalances in abundance of ''Sutterella'' species is correlated with a number of disordered health outcomes. Many of these are related to gut health though others are developmental and neurological disorders. ''Sutterella'' abundance has been positively correlated with

irritable bowel disease Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may occ ...

Crohn's disease Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, abdominal distension, and weight loss. Complications outside of the ...

, and

autism spectrum disorder Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

. Some studies have shown correlation between ''Sutterella'' abundance and severity of down syndrome, though not the onset of the syndrome itself. There is also some evidence to suggest that ''Sutterella'' may be implicated in the pathogensis of ulcerative colitis. However, ''Sutterella'' abundance is negatively associated with other disorders, such as

multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease resulting in damage to myelinthe insulating covers of nerve cellsin the brain and spinal cord. As a demyelinating disease, MS disrupts the nervous system's ability to Action potential, transmit ...

. ''Sutterella'' has been found to be mildly pro-inflammatory and some research suggests this is due to an ability to degrade

IgA IGA or IgA may refer to: Businesses and organizations * IGA (supermarkets) (initially Independent Grocers Alliance), a name used by many independent supermarkets throughout the world ** IGA (Australian supermarket group), the local Australian v ...

. This may help explain its role in human health. There have been a number of studies indicating that diet has an effect on ''Sutterella'' abundance in the gut. Prebiotics, including artificial sweeteners, pectic polysaccharides, and dietary fiber, have been shown to alter the abundance of ''Sutterella'' species.

History of classification

''Sutterella'' was initially characterized by Wexler et. al. in 1996. Despite being mistaken for
Campylobacter gracilis
', it was later determined that it had a number of distinguishing features; sequencing confirmed that it was a unique species most closely related to members of the order

Burkholderiales The Burkholderiales are an order of ''Betaproteobacteria'' in the phylum ''Pseudomonadota''.George M. Garrity: '' Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology''. 2. Auflage. Springer, New York, 2005, Vol. 2: ''The Proteobacteria Part C: The Alpha-, ...

and other

. This original strain was named '' Sutterella wadsworthensis'', chosen to honor both the laboratory where it was discovered, the Wadsworth Anaerobe Laboratory, and its decades long director, Vera Sutter. In 2010, upon the discovery of the second species of '' Parasutterella'', '' Parasutterella secunda'', Morotomi et. al. proposed the reclassification of the closely related ''Sutterella'' and ''Parasutterella genera'' from

Alcaligenaceae The Alcaligenaceae are a family of bacteria, included in the order Burkholderiales. Members are found in water, soil, humans, and other animals.Garrity, George M.; Brenner, Don J.; Krieg, Noel R.; Staley, James T. (eds.) (2005). ''Bergey's Manual ...

to a new and distinct family they named Sutterellaceae.

Species

Recognized species

'' Sutterella megalosphaeroides'' '' Sutterella parvirubra'' '' Sutterella stercoricanis'' '' Sutterella wadsworthensis''

Proposed Species

'' Sutterella faecalis'' '' Sutterella massiliensis'' ''

Candidatus In prokaryote nomenclature, ''Candidatus'' (abbreviated ''Ca.''; Latin for "candidate of Roman office") is used to name prokaryotic taxa that are well characterized but yet- uncultured. Contemporary sequencing approaches, such as 16S ribosomal R ...

'' Sutterella merdavium '' Sutterella seckii'' '' Sutterella timonensis''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sutterella Burkholderiales Bacteria genera