Bacteria Classification

Lecture 13
Classification of bacteria - Bergeys manual of systematic bacteriology outline

only.
Learning objectives:
This lecture helps the learners to group and identify bacteria based on their key
characteristics. All the five volumes of Bergeys manual are discussed with few
examples. One or two important organisms will also be discussed in this class.
Nomenclature
Any system of scientific naming to the biological systems. Following the binomial
system of nomenclature, all the bacteria are given genus and species names. The
names are either Latin or Greek derivations of some descriptive property. Each
species of the microorganism has only one officially accepted name, so that it should
be understandable world wide
Taxonomical groups
Linnaeus defined the biological classification system
It is a hierarchical system that starts with a few categories at the highest level,
and further subdivides them at each lower level.
The levels in the hierarchy were as follows:
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Bacterial Taxonomy
Taxonomy refers the science of classification, which includes identification,
nomenclature and systematic arrangement of any group of organisms.
Identification is the process of Identifying the individual
Nomenclature is the method of naming the individual
Classification refers arranging the individuals by groups
Conventional classification method
For identification, nomenclature and classification of any bacterium,
conventionally few characters of bacteria are used.
Morphological characters -Cell shape, arrangement and staining reactions
Chemical characters Various chemical constituent of the cell
Cultural characters- Nutritional and physical conditions required for growth
Metabolic characters-Energy production and utilization process
Antigenic characters-Special large chemicals component (antigen ) of the cell
Genetic characters-Characteristics of the hereditary material of the cell
Pathogencity- ability to cause disease
Ecological characters-Habitat and distribution of the organism
Numerical Taxonomy
A method used in taxonomy to determine and numerically express the degree
of similarity of every strain of prokaryotes is referred as numerical taxonomy.
% similarity =
No. of characters similar

-----------------------------------------------------------No. of characters + No. of characters
similar
not similar
Identification & Classification

Many schemes were there for identification of bacteria before 1923.
1916-1918 - Robert Buchanan was the first to prepare a comprehensive scheme
For the classification of bacteria
1920 - American Society for Microbiology submitted a report on various
schemes which was the beginning of new outline for bacterial classification
Bergeys Maual
David .H.Bergey, published a first edition of Bergeys manual of
determintive bacteriology from the Society of American Bacteriologists in
1923.
Second edition was published in 1925, third edition in 1930 and subsequently
five editions appeared.
In 1974, 8th edition was published with international contributions.
In,1984 major change occurred and the manual was prepared with
information dealing with ecology, enrichment, isolation, preservation,
characteristics of bacteria concerned with classification and identification.
Then the manual came with rename as Bergeys manual of systematic
bacteriology.
This manual was published as four volumes.
Bergeys Manual of systematic bacteriology
It is a compendium of standard and molecular informations about the
available prokaryotes.
IDENTIFYING BACTERIA: STANDARD REFERENCE IS BERGEYS MANUAL OF
DETERMINATIVE BACTERIOLOGY
A. Morphological Characteristics
B. Differential Staining
C. Biochemical Testing
D. Serology
E. DNA Probes (Nucleic Acid Hybridization)
F. PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)
First edition consists of 4 volumes

Vol 1. Gram positive bacteria
Vol 2. Gram negative bacteria
Vol 3. Bacteria with unusual properties including archaea
Vol 4. Filamentous bacteria

This system does not have much phylogenic information andf hence the
second edition came
The second edition of the Bergeys manual provides much clear information
about the genetic relationship among the organisms.
The second edition was divided into 5 volumes

Vol 1. Archaea, cyanobacteria, phototrophs and deeply branched genera
Vol 2. Proteobacteria
Vol 3. Low G+C gram positives
Vol 4. High G+C gram positives
Vol 5. Planctomycetes, Spirochetes, Bacteroides, Fusobacteria
Vol 1. Archaea, cyanobacteria, phototrophs and deeply branched genera
This volume has 3 important groups out of which, one is in different domain
(Domain archaea).
1. Archaea
Four important sections are present in the archaea.
a. Hyperthermophiles - Ex. Thermococcus, Sulfolobus, Thermosphaera
b. Methanogens - Ex. Methanobacterium, Methanococcus, Methanosarcina
c. Halobacteria - Ex. Halobacterium, Halococcus, Natronomonas
d. Thermoplasma - Ex. Thermoplasma
.
2. Cyanobacteria
Filamentous, oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. They have special cells called
heterocyst in which nitrogenase enzyme is present. The nitrogenase enzyme
is responsible for fixing atmospheric N2 into ammonia.
Cyanbobacteria exist in three forms,
Single celled
- Chrococcus, Gleotheca, Gleocapsa
Filamentous non-heterocystous - Oscillatoria, Lyngbya
Filamentous heterocystous
- Anabaena, Nostoc, Tolypothrix
3. Anoxygenic phototrophs
Single celled, sulphur required bacteria. They use H2S as electron
donor. Ex. Green sulphur bacterium Chlorobium
Vol 2. Proteobacteria
This volume has gram negative bacteria. They were further divided into 5
subgroups as , , , and .
They contain medically, industrially and agriculturally important bacteria.
S.N
Important Bacteria
o.
Proteobacteria
1.
Purple bacteria
Characters
Anoxygenic Photosynthetic sulphur

bacteria
Example
Rhodospirillum,
Rhodobacter,
Chromatium
2.
Associative Nitrogen
fixing bacteria
3.
Symbiotic Nitrogen fixing

bacteria
4.
Free living Nitrogen fixing

bacteria
5.
Pseudomonas group
6.
7.
Rickettsia
Sulphur oxidizing bacteria
8.
Acetic acid producing

bacteria
9.
Budding bacteria
10.
Hydrogen bacteria
Proteobacteria
1.
Nitrifying bacteria
2.
Neisseria & relatives
3.
Spirillum
4.
Sheathed bacteria
Proteobacteria
1.
Purple sulphur bacteria
2.
Methylotrophs
3.
Coliforms
Proteobacteria
1.
Sulphur reducing bacteria
2.
3.
Glding bacteria
Vibrio group
These bacteria present in the

rhizosphere of graminaceous plants and
symbiotically fix atmospheric nitrogen.
Form nodules in legume roots and fix
atmospheric nitrogen.
Some form galls in the roots
Present in the soil as heterotrophs use
verity of carbon sources in soil and fix
atmospheric nitrogen
Some are Plant Growth Promoting
Rhizobacteria
Some are pathogens
Some produce alcohol
Endoparasites
Uses S as electron donor
Chemolithotrophs Strict aerobes
Fermentative bacteria
Reproduction by budding like yeast
Hydrogen producing bacteria
Chemolithotroph strict aerobe soil
bacteria important form N cycle
Aerobes & facultative aerobes
Azospirillum
Rhizobium,
Bradyrhizobium,
Agrobacterium
Azotobacter,
Beijerinkia
Pseudomonas
Xanthomonas
Zymomonas
Rickettsia
Thiobacillus
Acetobacter,
Gluconobacter
Caulobacter
Alkaligenes
Ammonia to nitrite
Nitrosomonas
Nitrite to nitrate
Nitrobacter
Neisseria
Spirillum sp.
Sphaerotilus
Present in the intestinal track of

mammals
Thiobacillus,
Thiospirillum
Methylomonas,
Methylobacter,
methylococcus
Escherichia,
Salmonella
Anaerobes use S as terminal electron

acceptor
Gliding movement
Most are pathogenic
Desulfovibrio,
Desulfomonas
Myxobacteria
Vibrio, Erwinia
Anoxygenic photosynthetic sulphur

bacteria
Uses methane and methanol as carbon
source
Vol 3. Low G+C gram positives

S.N
o
1.
Clostridia group
2.
Mycoplasma group
3.
Bacilli and Lactobacilli

group
Group
Characters
Strict anaerobes mostly
fermentative nutrition few
thermotolerant endospore
producers
Absence of cell wall
Lactic acid producing bacteria
endospore producers aerobes
aerotolerant fermentative
Example
Clostridium,
Thermoanaerobacteriu,
Thermoanaerobium
Mycoplasma, Mesoplasma,
Spiroplasma
Leuconostoc, Lactococcus,
Streptococcus
nutrition
Vol 4. High G+C gram positives

S.N
o
1.
Group
Actinomycetes
2.
Mycobacterium
3.
Corynebacterium
Characters
Filamentous sporangiospores
conidiospores soil habitat
antibiotics producers
Symbiotic with Casuarina form root
nodules N2 fixation
Presence of mycolic acid in the cell
wall acid fast staining human
pathogens
Human pathogens
Example
Actinomyces, Nocardia,
Sreptomyces
Frankia
Mycobacterium lepri
Corynebacterium
diptheriaea
Vol 5. Plancomycetes, Spirochetes, Bacteroides and Fusobacteria

S.
No
1.
Chlamydia group
2.
3.
Bacteroides
Spirochete
Group
Characters
Obligate parasites to man, animal and
birds
Obligate anaerobes
Gram negative flexile endoflagella
presence
Example
Chlamydia
Bacteroides
Spirocheta, Leptospira
Modern Taxonomy:
CLASSIFICATION METHODS FOR BACTERIA
A. Differential Staining
B. PCR
C. DNA Base Composition
FAME- The fatty acid composition of prokaryotes give very high diversity. The
fatty acid compositions especially the cell wall fatty acids analysis is used to identify
the organisms.
D. DNA Probes (Nucleic Acid Hybridization
DNA:DNA hybridization - The DNA of one organism is subjected to hybridize with

other organism and the degree of hybridization will vary with organisms depends
upon their relativity. This variation will be used to identify and group the organism.
E. rRNA Sequencing
Ribosomal analysis - Among the cellular organelles, ribosome is present in all the
living organisms; ancient molecule; functionally constant; universally distributed
and well conserved.
Ribotyping / Phylogenetic Classification
Phylogeny-Ordering of species into higher taxa and construction of evolutionary
tree based on the evolutionary relationship

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Lecture 13

Classification of bacteria - Bergeys manual of systematic bacteriology outline

Ecological characters-Habitat and distribution of the organism

No. of characters similar

Identification & Classification

First edition consists of 4 volumes

Vol 4. Filamentous bacteria

The second edition was divided into 5 volumes

Anoxygenic Photosynthetic sulphur

Symbiotic Nitrogen fixing

Free living Nitrogen fixing

Acetic acid producing

These bacteria present in the

Aerobes & facultative aerobes

Present in the intestinal track of

Anaerobes use S as terminal electron

Anoxygenic photosynthetic sulphur

Vol 3. Low G+C gram positives

Bacilli and Lactobacilli

Vol 4. High G+C gram positives

Vol 5. Plancomycetes, Spirochetes, Bacteroides and Fusobacteria

DNA:DNA hybridization - The DNA of one organism is subjected to hybridize with

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