Proteus vulgaris

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Proteus vulgaris

Classification

Higher order taxa

Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Gamma Proteobacteria
Order: Enterobacteriales
Family: Enterobacteriaceae

Species

P. vulgairs

Description and significance

P. vulgaris is rod-shaped gram-negative chemoheterotroph. It inhabits in gastrointestinal tracts of animal, soil, polluted water, raw meat, and dust.
P.vulgaris is considered to be pathogenic bacteria. In human, it can cause urinary tract infections, wound infections, and is a common cause of sinus and respiratory infections.

Proteus can be isolated from a sample of soil. Organism is inoculated in a nutrient agar to form colonies. To test the gram-negative and oxidase-negative characteristics of Enterobacteriaceae, gram stains and the oxidase test are performed. The colonies of interest are then inoculated onto a selective and differential medium-McConkey agar. McConkey agar is suitable for Proteus for two reasons. First reason is that the bile salt constituent allows the growth of Proteus, which is a part of the intestinal flora, while selectively inhibits organisms that are not suitable to grow in interstinal environments. Second reason is that McConkey agar can differentiate the non lactose-fermenting characteristic of Proteus from the lactose-fermenting organisms. Since Proteus is an anaerobic organism, the plate agar can be incubated in an anaerobic jar.[1]

Describe the appearance, habitat, etc. of the organism, and why it is important enough to have its genome sequenced. Describe how and where it was isolated. Include a picture or two (with sources) if you can find them.

Genome structure

Describe the size and content of the genome. How many chromosomes? Circular or linear? Other interesting features? What is known about its sequence? Does it have any plasmids? Are they important to the organism's lifestyle?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=genome&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=16389

Cell structure and metabolism

Proteus species possess an extracytoplasmic outer membrane, a feature shared with other gram-negative bacteria. In addition, the outer membrane contains a lipid bilayer, lipoproteins, polysaccharides, and lipopolysaccharides.

Describe any interesting features and/or cell structures; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.

Ecology

Describe any interactions with other organisms (included eukaryotes), contributions to the environment, effect on environment, etc.

Pathology

How does this organism cause disease? Human, animal, plant hosts? Virulence factors, as well as patient symptoms.

Current Research

"Antibacterial and antifungal activities of different parts of Tribulus terrestris L. growing in Iraq"
- Antimicrobial activity of organic and aqueous extracts from fruits, leaves and roots of Tribulus terrestris was examined against 11 species of organisms including Proteus vulgaris.Tribulus terrestris is an Iraqi medicinal plant that is used as urinary anti-infective in folk medicine. Different parts of Turkish and Iranian T. terrestris are already known to have antibacterial activity but the antimicrobial activity of Iraqi T. terrestris has not been studied until this experiment.
- Different extracts from fruits, leaves and roots of Iraqi T. terrestris were tested at concentrations of 0.01~5.00 mg/ml, and evaluated in MIC values. Ethanol extract of T. terrestris fruit was most active against both gram-positive and gram-negative including P. vulgaris with the MIC value of 0.15 mg/ml. The result of aqueous extract from T. terrestris leaves showed that it was active against P. vulgaris with MIC value of 2.50 mg/ml. Extracts from T. terrestris roots showed no activity or very little activity against targeted bacteria.
- In conclusion, all of the extracts from T. terrestris growing in Iraq have ability to inhibit the growth of most of the tested organisms. The gram-positive bacteria were most sensitive to the ethanol extract of T. terrestris fruits, while P. vulgaris was the most resistant among the tested gram-negative bacteria.

"Action of Lysozyme on Penicillin-Induced Filaments of Proteus vulgaris"
- Low-dose of penicillin causes gram-negative bacteria to transform into filaments, but penicillin itself does no harm to cell envelopes and cell wall. The study done by Jacqueline Fleck, Jean-Pierre Martin, and Michèle Mock demonstrates that the hen egg white lysozyme, which does not affect normal cells of P. vulgaris P 18, modifies the envelope of filaments.
- In conclusion, low-dose of penicillin stopped cell septation in P. vulgaris P 18 and caused its transformation into filaments without changing the structure of cell envelope. In the penicillin-induced filaments, lysozyme penetrated the cell envelope and dissolved the inner most layer of the cell wall. The action of penicillin caused removal of the barrier to this enzyme. As a result, the five-layered wall is reduced to three-layered structure. This three-layered structure contained the outer membrane and the filament was transformed into spheroplasts.

References

Firas A. Al-Bayati† and Hassan F. Al-Mola."Antibacterial and antifungal activities of different parts of Tribulus terrestris L. growing in Iraq" Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B vol 9 no.2. Zhejiang University Press.(154–159)

Jacqueline Fleck, Jean-Pierre Martin, and Michèle Mock. "Action of Lysozyme on Penicillin-Induced Filaments of Proteus vulgaris" Journal of Bacteriology. vol 120 no.2 American Society for Microbiology (929–933)