These three closely related genera have formed the tribe Proteeae in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Among other changes, the exclusion from the genus Proteus of several species that created new genera Providencia and Morganella is worth mentioning. Lately, the only Proteus species with no clinical significance, Proteus myxofaciens, has been postulated to be moved from the genus Proteus to a new genus Cosenzaea. The taxonomic classification of these bacteria has changed several times. The genus Proteus includes Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, heterotrophic, and proteolytic rods being human opportunistic pathogens. However, the mutation in the ids genes does not provoke the killing of parent or mutant strain cells, although the Dienes line is visible between their swarms. Two of them ( idr and tss) encode cytotoxins and a type VI secretion system, respectively, while the third one ( ids) encodes the Ids proteins responsible for self-identification. The Dienes reaction is connected with at least three recognized gene clusters enabling the self-recognition of P.
suggested that one of the meeting strains dominated over the other killing it in the cell–cell contact because round dead cells were observed near the border in the swarm of the dominated strain. The formation of the boundaries (Dienes lines) may depend on different profiles of produced proticines ( Proteus bacteriocines) and different profiles of strain sensitivity. However, the background of the expression of the territorial competition between two swarming non-isogenic strains still remains unclear. The phenomenon described by Dienes in 1946 consists in forming boundaries between the swarming growth of different strains, while isogenic strains merge with each other (Fig. strains with discriminatory power comparable to ribotyping. The ability of swarming growth is used in a simple and effective Dienes test to differentiate Proteus spp. vulgaris to be more common and ordinary therefore, he gave it the Latin name meaning widespread, usual. mirabilis, which in Latin means amazing, marvelous, splendid. This is a possible source of the name of P.
The swarming ability, connected with a change of short swimmer cells into long, poli-nucleous and hyper-flagellated swarmer cells, is especially visible in the second species. Hauser described two species of the genus: Proteus vulgaris and Proteus mirabilis.
The name Proteus came from Homer’s “Odyssey” and its character Proteus, who could change his shape and had an ability of endless transformation. Microorganisms belonging to the genus Proteus were first described in 1885 by a German microbiologist Gustav Hauser, who had revealed their ability to swarm on solid surfaces. abilities to tolerate or utilize polluting compounds as well as promote plant growth provide a possibility of employing these microorganisms in bioremediation and environmental protection.
These rods acquire various metabolic abilities allowing their adaptation to different environmental conditions, such as high concentrations of heavy metals or toxic substances, which may be exploited as sources of energy and nutrition by the bacteria. Positive aspects of the bacteria presence in water and soil are connected with exceptional features displayed by autochthonic Proteus spp. The health risk may also be connected with drug-resistant strains sourcing from intestines. bacteria present in soil or water habitats are often regarded as indicators of fecal pollution, posing a threat of poisoning when the contaminated water or seafood is consumed. However, interesting examples of their symbiotic relationships with higher organisms have also been described. bacteria, which are commonly known to play a role of parasites or commensals. Many wild and domestic animals may be hosts of Proteus spp. It is postulated that intestines are a reservoir of these proteolytic organisms. The bacteria are known to be human opportunistic pathogens, isolated from urine, wounds, and other clinical sources. Currently, the genus is divided into Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus penneri, Proteus hauseri, and three unnamed genomospecies 4, 5, and 6 and consists of 80 O-antigenic serogroups. bacteria were first described in 1885 by Gustav Hauser, who had revealed their feature of intensive swarming growth.