Fusobacteria

Fusobacteria
Fusobacterium novum in liquid culture.
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Fusobacteria Garrity and Holt 2012
Class:	Fusobacteriia Staley and Whitman, 2012
Order:	Fusobacteriales Staley and Whitman, 2012
Families/Genera
Leptotrichiaceae Sebaldella Collins and Shah 1986 Sneathia Collins et al. 2002 Streptobacillus Levaditi et al. 1925 Leptotrichia Trevisan 1879 Fusobacteriaceae Cetobacterium Foster et al. 1996 emend. Finegold et al. 2003 Fusobacterium Knorr 1922 Ilyobacter Stieb and Schink 1985 Propionigenium Schink and Pfennig 1983 Psychrilyobacter Zhao et al. 2009

Fusobacteria are obligately anaerobic non-sporeforming Gram-negative bacilli. Since the first reports in the late nineteenth century, various names have been applied to these organisms, sometimes with the same name being applied to different species. More recently, not only have there been changes to the nomenclature, but also attempts to differentiate between species which are believed to be either pathogenic or commensal or both. Because of their asaccharolytic nature, and a general paucity of positive results in routine biochemical tests, laboratory identification of the fusobacteria has been difficult. However, the application of novel molecular biological techniques to taxonomy has established a number of new species, together with the subspeciation of Fusobacterium necrophorum and F. nucleatum, and provided new methods for identification. The involvement of fusobacteria in a wide spectrum of human infections causing tissue necrosis and septicaemia has long been recognised, and, more recently, their importance in intra-amniotic infections, premature labour and tropical ulcers has been reported.

Since the first reports of fusobacteria in the late nineteenth century, the variety of species names has led to some confusion within the genera Fusobacterium and Leptotrichia. However, newer methods of investigation have led to a better understanding of the taxonomy, with the description of several new species of fusobacteria. Among the new species described are F. ulcerans from tropical ulcers, and several species from the oral cavity. Subspeciation of the important species F. necrophorum and F. nucleatum has also been possible. It is probable that the taxonomy of the fusobacteria may be further developed in the future.^[1]

Phylogeny

The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LSPN)^[2][3] and the phylogeny is based on 16S rRNA-based LTP release 123 by The All-Species Living Tree Project.^[4]

Note 1: Species not used in the All-Species Living Tree Project

• Leptotrichiaceae
  • Caviibacter abscessus Eisenberg et al. 2016
  • Oceanivirga salmonicida Eisenberg et al. 2016
  • Streptobacillus felis Eisenberg et al. 2015
  • Streptobacillus notomytis Eisenberg et al. 2015
  • Streptobacillus ratti Eisenberg et al. 2015
  • Sneathia amnionii ♠ Harwich et al. 2012
• Fusobacteriaceae
  • Ilyobacter delafieldii Janssen and Harfoot 1991
  • Ilyobacter psychrophilus ♠ Qoura & Antranikian 2005a
  • Fusobacterium naviforme (Jungano 1909) Moore and Holdeman 1970
  • Fusobacterium plautii corrig. Séguin 1928
  • Fusobacterium polysaccharolyticum van Gylswyk 1981
  • Fusobacterium prausnitzii (Hauduroy et al. 1937) Moore & Holdeman 1970
  • Fusobacterium sulci Cato et al. 1985

Note 2:
♠ Strain found at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) but not listed in the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN)

References