Contribution in an anthology

Appeared in: Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria

Editor list: Whitman, WB

Publication year: 2015

eISBN: 978-1-118-96060-8

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm00958

Abstract: 

Sphae.ro' ti.lus. Gr. n. sphaera a sphere; Gr. n. tilus anything shredded, floc, down; M.L. masc. n. Sphaerotilus spherical flock.

Proteobacteria / Betaproteobacteria / Burkholderiales / Comamonadaceae / incertae Sedis VI. Sphaerotilus

Straight rods, 1.2–2.5 × 2–10 µm, usually arranged in single chains within sheaths of uniform width, which may be attached by means of holdfasts to walls of containers, submerged plants, stones, and other surfaces. True, rather than false, branching of the filaments does not occur. Single or paired cells released from the sheaths are motile by means of a bundle of subpolar flagella, sometimes so intertwined as to give the appearance of a single large “unit flagellum”. Sheaths usually thin without encrustation by ferric and manganic oxides. They cannot always be easily recognized when completely filled with cells, but if parts of the sheaths are vacated by the cells, recognition of the organism cannot be misinterpreted. Resting stages are not known. Gram negative. Has a propensity for storing poly-β-hydroxybutyrate in granules. Aerobic, having a strictly respiratory type of metabolism with oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Can grow at very low concentrations of dissolved oxygen (below 0.1 mg/l). Temperature range: 10–40°C; optimum: between 20° and 30°C. pH range: 5.4–9; Optimal pH: between 6.5 and 7.5. Chemoorganotrophic. Alcohols, organic acids, and sugars are used as sources of carbon and energy. Ammonium salts and nitrates may serve as nitrogen source in the presence of vitamin B₁₂ or methionine. Peptone, Casamino acids, and mixtures of aspartic and glutamic acids, and vitamin B₁₂, or methionine give better results.

The mol% G + C of the DNA is: 70.

Type species: Sphaerotilus natans Kützing 1833, 386.

Harvard Citation style: Kämpfer, P. and Spring, S. (2015) Incertae Sedis VI. Sphaerotilus, in Whitman, W. (ed.) Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm00958

APA Citation style: Kämpfer, P., & Spring, S. (2015). Incertae Sedis VI. Sphaerotilus. In Whitman, W. (Ed.), Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm00958