Spirillum

This article is about the bacterial genus. For spiral-shaped bacteria in general, see spiral bacteria.
Spirillum
Spirillum
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Betaproteobacteria
Order: Nitrosomonadales
Family: Spirillaceae
Genus and species

Spirillum is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria within family Spirillaceae.[1][2][3] There are two species in Spirillum with standing in nomenclature, Spirillum winogradskyi and Spirillum volutans.[4] The taxonomic position of three other species provisionally bearing the Spirillum genus name (Spirillum minus, Spirillum pleomorphum, and Spirillum pulli) is uncertain and these have no standing in nomenclature.[1][5]

Morphology

Members of Spirillum are large, elongate, spiral shaped, rigid cells.[5] Some have tufts of flagella at both poles. They are microaerophilic and usually found in stagnant freshwater rich in organic matter.[5]

Pathogenicity

The bacterium provisionally named Spirillum minus is associated with rat-bite fever.[6]

Influence on culture

Episode 7 of Pig Goat Banana Cricket features a squad of bacteria cheerleaders called the Super Scum Spirilliums.

References

  1. 1 2 Garrity, George M.; Brenner, Don J.; Krieg, Noel R.; Staley, James T. (eds.) (2005). Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volume Two: The Proteobacteria, Part C: The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria. New York, New York: Springer. pp. 354–361. ISBN 978-0-387-24145-6.
  2. ↑ Spirillum at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
  3. ↑ Podkopaeva (D.), Grabovich (M.), Kuever (J.), Lysenko (A.M.), Tourova (T.P.), Kolganova (T.V.) and Dubinia (G.): Proposal of Spirillum winogradskyi sp. nov., a novel microaerophilic species, an amended description of the genus Spirillum and Request for an Opinion regarding the status of the species Spirillum volutans Ehrenberg 1832. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 2009, 59, 2916-2920.
  4. ↑ Jean, Euzeby. "Spirillum". List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Krieg, Noel (2006). "Chapter 3.2.5: The Genus Spirillum". In Dworkin, Martin; Falkow, Stanley; Rosenberg, Eugene; Schleifer, Karl-Heinz; Stackebrandt, Erko. The Prokaryotes: A Handbook on the Biology of Bacteria, Volume 5. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780387254951.
  6. ↑ "Spirillum" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
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