#pseudomonadota

[bacteriashowdown]

Pseudomonadota vs. Acidobacteriota

Pseudomonadota propaganda here

Acidobacteriota propaganda here

Pseudomonadota vs. Acidobacteriota

Pseudomonadota

Acidobacteriota

Voting ended onFeb 28, 2024

[bacteriashowdown]

Pseudomonadota

Group: Hydrobacteria; Proteobacteria

Gram-stain: Negative (mostly)

Etymology: For Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the Greek "pseudes", meaning "false", and the neo-Latin "monas", in this context referring to a genus of eukaryotes (Monas) that Pseudomonas resemble. Hence, "false monas".

About: Pseudomonadota (formerly known as Proteobacteria) is a long-studied phylum, and just one of those that is difficult to describe in few words. It contains many famous infectious diseases: e. coli, salmonella, cholera, dysentery, gonorrhea... and the black plague.

Other famous bacteria in Pseudomonadota include those plastic-eating ones that you see in the news, as well as bacteria with special proteins that seed the growth of ice crystals and snowflakes. One species in this phylum is known for making a glue so strong that a tiny dab can suspend the weight of multiple cars. Then there is the parasitic/endosymbiotic genus Wolbachia, known for affecting the reproductive systems of their insect hosts, and can gift the females with a new ability to reproduce asexually (through parthenogenesis).

Pseudomonadota also contains the largest bacteria, with members that can be seen with the naked eye (up to an entire cm in length). The hair-like filaments in the below photo are Thiomargarita magnifica, the largest bacteria, and a Pseudomonadota. 

But Pseudomonadota doesn't just go large: it also contains the bacteria with the smallest genomes. One such bacteria is an endosymbiont, candidatus Carsonella ruddii. They supply their hosts with essential amino acids, are present in every member of the host species, and are fully reliant on their hosts. This all means the species is probably in the process of becoming an organelle. A process just like this is what led to the mitochondria becoming a part of your cells! In fact, the ancestor of the mitochondria likely belonged to the Pseudomonadota, in the family Rickettsiaceae.

Another interesting species from Pseudomonadota is Photorabdus luminescens, a bioluminescent bacteria known for containing the m.c.f. gene (or the "makes caterpillars floppy") gene. These bacteria are endosymbiotic with nematodes, tiny worms that infect and kill insects; they do this by releasing P. luminescens into the bloodstream of the host, where it uses special enzymes that kill and help digest the insect, making it...floppy.