Propionibacterium
{{Short description|Genus of bacteria}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Emmental 015.jpg
| image_caption = Emmental cheese made using Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii
| taxon = Propionibacterium
| authority = Orla-Jensen 1909 (Approved Lists 1980){{cite journal | author = Orla-Jensen S. | title = Die Hauptlinien des natürlichen Bakteriensystems | trans-title = The main lineages of natural bacterial systems | journal = Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II |trans-journal=Central Journal for Bacteriology, Parasite Science, Infectious Diseases and Hygiene, Section II | year = 1909 | volume = 22 | pages = 305–346}}
| type_species = Propionibacterium freudenreichii
| type_species_authority = van Niel 1928 (Approved Lists 1980)
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
- P. australiense
- P. cyclohexanicum
- P. ruminifibrarum
- "P. westphaliense" Schlattmann et al. 2018
}}
Propionibacterium is a gram-positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped genus of bacteria named for their unique metabolism: They are able to synthesize propionic acid by using unusual transcarboxylase enzymes.Cheung, Y.F., Fung, C., and Walsh, C. "Stereochemistry of propionyl-coenzyme A and pyruvate carboxylations catalyzed by transcarboxylase." 1975. Biochemistry 14(13), pg 2981.
Its members are primarily facultative parasites and commensals of humans and other animals, living in and around the sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and other areas of the skin. They are virtually ubiquitous and do not cause problems for most people, but propionibacteria have been implicated in acne and other skin conditions.Bojar, R., and Holland, K. "Acne and propionibacterium acnes." 2004. Clinics in Dermatology 22(5), pg. 375-379. One study found the Propionibacterium was the most prevalent human skin-associated genus of microorganisms.{{cite news| last = Rust| first = Susanne| date = 4 February 2012| title = UC Berkeley Bacteria Study: Research Shows Humans A Major Source Of Germs| newspaper = Huffington Post| location = San Francisco| url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/uc-berkeley-bacteria-study_n_1398128.html| access-date = 2012-04-06}}
In ruminants, propionibacteria reduce nitrate to nontoxic nitrogen compounds.{{cite web |last1=Strickland,Gary; Richards, Chris; Zhang,Hailin; and Step, D.L|title=Nitrate Toxicity in Livestock |date=February 2017 |url=https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/nitrate-toxicity-in-livestock.html |publisher=Oklahoma State University Extension Service |access-date=12 July 2023}}
Members of the genus Propionibacterium are widely used in the production of vitamin B12, tetrapyrrole compounds, and propionic acid, as well as in the probiotics and cheese industries.Kiatpapan P., Murooka Y. Genetic manipulation system in propionibacteria. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering. 93 (1) (pp 1–8), 2002
The strain Propionibacterium freudenreichii subsp. shermanii is used in cheesemaking to create CO2 bubbles that become "eyes"—round holes in the cheese.[https://fankhauserblog.wordpress.com/2004/01/01/making-swiss-cheese/ Making Swiss Cheese - David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D.]
Pathology
Propionibacterium spp. are commensal bacteria that can occasionally cause infectious diseases. The most studied of these infections is acne vulgaris, caused by Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes).{{Cite journal|last1=Zeller|first1=Valérie A.|last2=Letembet|first2=Valérie-Anne|last3=Meyssonnier|first3=Vanina A.|last4=Heym|first4=Beate|last5=Ziza|first5=Jean-Marc|last6=Marmor|first6=Simon D.|date=2018-02-12|title=Cutibacterium (Formerly Propionibacterium) avidum: A Rare but Avid Agent of Prosthetic Hip Infection|journal=The Journal of Arthroplasty|volume=33|issue=7|pages=2246–2250|doi=10.1016/j.arth.2018.02.008|issn=1532-8406|pmid=29544969|s2cid=3916758 }} It is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by the blockage of pilosebaceous units causing inflammatory lesions, non-inflammatory lesions or a mixture of both on the face, neck and/or chest.{{Cite book|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83685/|title=PROPIONIBACTERIUM ACNES AND CHRONIC DISEASES|last1=Bhatia|first1=Ajay|last2=Maisonneuve|first2=Jean-Francoise|last3=Persing|first3=David H.|date=2004|publisher=National Academies Press (US)|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2017-12-15|title=Acne Vulgaris: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology|url=https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1069804-overview }} Acne vulgaris cannot be defined as an infectious disease since the bacteria is found on a vast majority of individuals without causing lesions. C. acnes colonize the skin only under certain favorable conditions. In most cases, C. acnes get trapped under the comedones where they proliferate to form micro-comedones, not visible to the naked eye,{{Cite book|url=https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783642640964|title=ACNE and ROSACEA {{!}} G. Plewig {{!}} Springer|language=en}} which can later form structures such as closed comedones (white heads) and open comedones. These comedones can rupture, releasing the follicular material inside the dermis. The cause of this rupture was thought to be the indirect effect of fat metabolism by the bacteria, however it was later found that bacteria are directly involved in comedome rupturing by producing factors such as proteases, hyaluronidases and neuraminidases which might be involved in thinning of the epithelium.{{Cite journal|last=Noble|first=W. C.|date=February 1984|title=Skin microbiology: coming of age|journal=Journal of Medical Microbiology|volume=17|issue=1|pages=1–12|doi=10.1099/00222615-17-1-1|issn=0022-2615|pmid=6229637|doi-access=free}} C. acnes can also produce immune factors such as proinflammatory cytokine inducing-factors{{Cite journal|last1=Vowels|first1=B R|last2=Yang|first2=S|last3=Leyden|first3=J J|date=August 1995|title=Induction of proinflammatory cytokines by a soluble factor of Propionibacterium acnes: implications for chronic inflammatory acne.|pmc=173431|journal=Infection and Immunity|volume=63|issue=8|pages=3158–3165|doi=10.1128/IAI.63.8.3158-3165.1995|issn=0019-9567|pmid=7542639}} and chemotactic factors,{{Cite journal|last1=Majeski|first1=J. A.|last2=Stinnett|first2=J. D.|date=March 1977|title=Chemoattractant properties of Corynebacterium parvum and pyran copolymer for human monocytes and neutrophils|journal=Journal of the National Cancer Institute|volume=58|issue=3|pages=781–783|issn=0027-8874|pmid=839571|doi=10.1093/jnci/58.3.781}} and can induce host complement pathways.{{Cite journal|last1=Webster|first1=G F|last2=Leyden|first2=J J|last3=Norman|first3=M E|last4=Nilsson|first4=U R|date=November 1978|title=Complement activation in acne vulgaris: in vitro studies with Propionibacterium acnes and Propionibacterium granulosum.|pmc=422187|journal=Infection and Immunity|volume=22|issue=2|pages=523–529|doi=10.1128/IAI.22.2.523-529.1978|issn=0019-9567|pmid=153333}}
Phylogeny
The currently accepted taxonomy is based on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN){{cite web |author=A.C. Parte |url=https://lpsn.dsmz.de/genus/propionibacterium |title=Propionibacterium |access-date=2025-02-28 |publisher=List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN) |display-authors=et al.}} and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).{{cite web |author=C.L. Schoch |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Tree&id=1743&lvl=3&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock |title=Propionibacterium |access-date=2025-02-28 |publisher=National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) taxonomy database |display-authors=et al.}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
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