Nonmedical: Pseudomonas
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Nonmedical: Pseudomonas EDWARD R. B. MOORE, BRIAN J. TINDALL, VITOR A. P. MARTINS DOS SANTOS, DIETMAR H. PIEPER, JUAN-LUIS RAMOS AND NORBERTO J. PALLERONI
Introduction Pseudomonas comprises a genus of species capable of utilizing a wide range of organic and inorganic compounds and of living under diverse environmental conditions. Consequently, they are ubiquitous in soil and water ecosystems and are important as plant, animal and human pathogens (Palleroni, 1992; Schroth et al., 1992). The genus Pseudomonas is well known for its metabolic versatility and genetic plasticity. The species of Pseudomonas, in general, grow rapidly and are particularly renowned for their ability to metabolize an extensive number of substrates, including toxic organic chemicals, such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons. Strains of Pseudomonas species are often resistant to antibiotics, disinfectants, detergents, heavy metals, and organic solvents. Some strains have been confirmed to produce metabolites that stimulate plant growth or inhibit plant pests. Pseudomonas was already recognized as a complex collection of a large number of described species when the previous two editions of The Prokaryotes (Bergen, 1981; Schroth et al., 1981; Schroth et al., 1992; Stolp and Gadkari, 1981; Palleroni, 1992) were published. The heterogeneity of Pseudomonas has been well documented from comprehensive studies dating to more than 40 years ago. For example, the detailed survey by Stanier et al. (1966) of 267 strains of aerobic pseudomonads clearly exposed the catabolic diversity of the species comprising the genus and provided insight into the phylogenetic diversity that would become more apparent a few years later. Much of what can be written today about Pseudomonas, particularly related to the phenotypic, as well as metabolic characteristics, has already been described in detail by several different groups (Clark and Ornston, 1975; Clark and Richmond, 1975; Palleroni, 1975). Wherever possible, the focus of this compilation on nonmedical aspects of the genus Pseudomonas is directed at information that has come to light since the last edition of The
Prokaryotes in 1992. Much of microbial systematics has “evolved” in new directions within the last decade as a result of being able to access the phylogenetic relationships of microbial taxa. Elucidation of the “natural” relationships of bacteria has had a profound impact on the systematic reorganization of bacteria, in general, and on Pseudomonas, in particular. Many of the species that were described previously as Pseudomonas have been reclassified within new genera, and recognition of the phylogenetic heterogeneity of bacteria classified as Pseudomonas has initiated re-evaluations of the phenotypic characteristics, metabolic activities, genetics, ecology and other characteristics, in light of the inter- and intrageneric phylogenetic relationships. The early studies on the phylogenetic analyses of Pseudomonas, in fact, helped develop much of the methodology and
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