Pseudonocardia

{{Short description|Genus of bacteria}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| taxon = Pseudonocardia

| authority = Henssen 1957 (Approved Lists 1980){{cite journal | author = Henssen A. | title = Beiträge zur Morphologie und Systematik der thermophilen Actinomyceten | trans-title = Contributions to the morphology and systematics of the thermophilic Actinomycetes | journal = Archiv für Mikrobiologie | year = 1957 | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 373–414 | pmid = 13435805 | doi = 10.1007/BF00407588| s2cid = 37269963 }}

|image= Pseudonocardia pini NRRL B-65534 (Type Strain).jpg

|image_caption= Pseudonocardia pini on agar plate

| type_species = Pseudonocardia thermophila

| type_species_authority = Henssen 1957 (Approved Lists 1980)

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = See text.

| synonyms =

• Actinobispora Jiang et al. 1991{{cite journal |vauthors=Huang Y, Wang L, Lu Z, Hong L, Liu Z, Tan GY, Goodfellow M | title = Proposal to combine the genera Actinobispora and Pseudonocardia in an emended genus Pseudonocardia, and description of Pseudonocardia zijingensis sp. nov. | journal = Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. | year = 2002 | volume = 52 | issue = Pt 3 | pages = 977–982| doi = 10.1099/00207713-52-3-977 | pmid = 12054266 }}
• Amycolata Lechevalier et al. 1986
• {{nowrap|Pseudoamycolata Akimov et al. 1989}}

}}

Pseudonocardia is a genus of the bacteria family Pseudonocardiaceae. Members of this genus have been found living mutualistically on the cuticle of the leafcutter antsSymbiont recognition of mutualistic bacteria by Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants, Zhang, M.M., Poulsen, M. and Currie, C.R. (2007), International Society for Microbial Ecology, 1:313–320 because the bacteria has antibiotic properties that protect the fungus grown by the ants.Fungus-growing ants use antibiotic-producing bacteria to control garden parasites, Currie, C.R., Scott S.A., Summerbell R.C., and David M. (1999), Nature, 398:701–704 When they are grooming, their legs are passed over their mouth gland (metapleural gland) that produces the antibiotic and then their legs touch the fungi while they are walking around. The ants have metapleural glands that produce the antimicrobial components to eliminate the Escovopsis fungi. The bacteria may also be found in crypts on the propleural plate. Pseudonocardia is found to have antibiotic properties provided to the leaf-cutter ant to inhibit the growth of Escovopsis, which is a black yeast that parasitizes the leaf-cutter ant.{{cite journal|last1=Hoy |first1=Marjorie |title=Symbiosis in Attine Fugus-Growing Ants}}

Pseudonocardia can be found in both aquatic (including marine) and terrestrial ecosystems. Pseudonocardia belongs to the phylum Actinobacteria. Most Actinobacteria grow in soils that are of a neutral pH. Actinobacteria are also important in plant-associated microbial communities are referred to as "free-living."{{cite web |last1=Barka |first1=Essaid Ait |title=Taxonomy, Physiology, and Natural Products of Actinobacteria |url=https://mmbr.asm.org/content/80/1/1 |website=The American Society for Microbiology |accessdate=15 June 2019}} This means that they are not dependent on another organism to live. For example: A non-free-living organism would be a parasite that depends on a host as a food source and a place for shelter. "Free-living" also allows these organisms to require less energy and food for survival. Bacteria from the Pseudonocardia genus are catalase-positive, non-motile, aerobic, non-acid-fast and produce a gram positive reaction. Under the microscope they exhibit branching, rod-shaped organisms.{{cite book |last1=Huang |first1=Ying |title=Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria |pages=1–32 |chapter=Pseudonocardia |doi=10.1002/9781118960608.gbm00184 |year=2015 |isbn=9781118960608 }}

There are many different strains of Pseudonocardia and a good portion of these strains have been found in China, in soils of the forest, and in Eucalyptus trees of Australia.