Sammelbandbeitrag

Erschienen in: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2016

eISBN: 978-0-470-01590-2

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0020392.pub2

Abstract: 

The family Streptomycetaceae contains three genera, Streptomyces, Kitasatospora and Streptacidiphilus, with Streptomyces being the best known and most diverse of these three genera. Members of this family are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions and habitats, and show a variety of colony – and cell morphological characteristics. Streptomyces are notable for their complex developmental cycle and production of bioactive secondary metabolites, producing more than two-thirds of commercially available and clinically useful antibiotics of natural origin (e.g. neomycin, cypemycin, grisemycin, bottromycins and chloramphenicol). Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic and immunosuppressant compounds have all been identified as products of Streptomyces secondary metabolism. Isolated predominantly from soil and decaying vegetation, most streptomycetes produce spores. Many of them produce a distinct ‘earthy’ odour that results from production of a volatile metabolite, geosmin. They are also capable of forming many and diverse hydrolytic exoenzymes, like cellulases and chitinases. The genetics and genomics of streptomycetes is a rapidly developing area. Only a few Streptomyces species are known to be pathogens, although infections, in humans, such as mycetoma, can be caused by S. somaliensis and S. sudanensis, and in plants can be caused by S. caviscabies, S. acidiscabies, S. turgidiscabies and S. scabies.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Glaeser, S. and Kämpfer, P. (2016) Streptomycetaceae: Phylogeny, Ecology and Pathogenicity, in Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0020392.pub2

APA-Zitierstil: Glaeser, S., & Kämpfer, P. (2016). Streptomycetaceae: Phylogeny, Ecology and Pathogenicity. In Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0020392.pub2