Phaeodactylibacter

Phaeodactylibacter is a genus of bacteria in the family Phaeodactylibacteraceae. It is a marine bacterium that was first isolated from the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. The genus currently contains a single species, Phaeodactylibacter xiamenensis.

Taxonomy

The genus Phaeodactylibacter belongs to the family Phaeodactylibacteraceae, order Rhodobacterales, class Alphaproteobacteria, phylum Proteobacteria, and domain Bacteria. The genus was first proposed in 2014 by Zheng et al., following the isolation and characterization of Phaeodactylibacter xiamenensis.

Description

Phaeodactylibacter are Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria. They are motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The cells are aerobic and heterotrophic, capable of utilizing a variety of organic compounds as energy sources.

Ecology

Phaeodactylibacter are marine bacteria, and have been isolated from coastal seawater and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. They are thought to play a role in the marine sulfur cycle, as they are capable of oxidizing dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a compound produced by marine phytoplankton.

Species

The genus currently contains a single species, Phaeodactylibacter xiamenensis. This species was first isolated from the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum in Xiamen, China.