Rickettsia:

Classification:
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Proteobacteria
Class: Alphaproteobacteria
Order: Rickettsiales
Family: Rickettsiaceae
Genus: Rickettsia
It is a genus of non-motile, Gram-negative, non-sporeforming, highly pleomorphic
bacteria that can present as cocci (0.1 m in diameter), rods (14 m long) or thread-like
(10 m long). Being obligate intracellular parasites, the Rickettsia survival depends on
entry, growth, and replication within the cytoplasm of eukaryotic host cells (typically
endothelial cells).
[8]

Because of this, Rickettsia cannot live in artificial nutrient environments and
is grown either in tissue or embryo cultures (typically, chicken embryos are
used). In the past it was positioned somewhere between viruses and true
bacteria. However unlike Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma,
Rickettsial organisms possess true cell walls similar to other Gram-negative
bacteria.
[9]
The majority of Rickettsia bacteria are susceptible to antibiotics
of the tetracycline group.
Despite the similar name, Rickettsia bacteria do not cause rickets, which is a
result of vitamin D deficiency.
Rickettsia species are carried by many chiggers, ticks, fleas, and lice, and
cause diseases in humans such as typhus, rickettsialpox, Boutonneuse fever,
African tick bite fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Flinders Island
spotted fever and Queensland tick typhus (Australian tick typhus).
[10]
They
have also been associated with a range of plant diseases. The name rickettsia
is often used for any member of the Rickettsiales. They are one of closest
living relatives to bacteria that were the origin of the mitochondria organelle
that exists inside most eukaryotic cells.
Rickettsia, Orientia, and Coxiella spp were once thought to belong to the
same family but now, based on genetic analysis, are considered distinct
entities. Although this group of organisms require living cells for growth,
they are true bacteria because they have metabolic enzymes and cell walls,
use O
2
, and are susceptible to antibiotics.
These organisms typically have an animal reservoir and an arthropod vector;
exceptions are R. prowazekii, for which humans are the primary reservoir,
and C. burnetii, which does not require an arthropod vector.
There are many rickettsial species, but 3 cause most human rickettsial
infections: R. rickettsii, R. prowazekii, and R. typhi.
Cattle, sheep, or goats are the hosts for Coxiella burnetii, which causes Q
fever.
Typhus group
Rickettsia prowazekii (worldwide)
Epidemic typhus, recrudescent typhus and sporadic typhus
Rickettsia typhi (worldwide)
Murine typhus (endemic typhus)

INFECTIOUS AGENT:
Rickettsial infections are caused by a variety of obligate intracellular, gram-
negative bacteria from the genera Rickettsia, Orientia, Ehrlichia,
Neorickettsia, Neoehrlichia, and Anaplasma, belonging to the
Alphaproteobacteria (Table 3-18). Rickettsia were classically divided into
the typhus group and spotted fever group (SFG), although the genus has
been subdivided further based on phylogenetic analysis.
Rickettsia, Orientia, and Coxiella spp were once thought to belong to the
same family but now, based on genetic analysis, are considered distinct
entities. Although this group of organisms require living cells for growth,
they are true bacteria because they have metabolic enzymes and cell walls,
use O
2
, and are susceptible to antibiotics. These organisms typically have an
animal reservoir and an arthropod vector; exceptions are R. prowazekii, for
which humans are the primary reservoir, and C. burnetii, which does not
require an arthropod vector.



Chlamydia (genus):
Chlamydia is a genus of bacteria that are obligate intracellular parasites.
Chlamydia infections are the most common bacterial sexually transmitted
diseases in humans and are the leading cause of infectious blindness
worldwide.range from 0.6-2.0micrometers. Chlamydia species have
genomes of approximately 1 to 1.3 megabases in length
[1]

The three Chlamydia species include Chlamydia trachomatis (a human
pathogen), Chlamydia suis (affects only swine) and Chlamydia muridarum
(affects only mice and hamsters).
[2]
Additionally, three species that were
previously classified as Chlamydia have since 1999 been reclassified into
the then newly-created Chlamydophila genus: Chlamydophila psittaci,
Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Chlamydophila pecorum.
Studies on the growth cycle of C. trachomatis and C. psittaci in cell cultures
in vitro reveal that the infectious elementary body develops into a
noninfectious reticulate body (RB) within a cytoplasmic vacuole in the
infected cell. After the elementary body enters the infected cell, an eclipse
phase of 20 hours occurs while the infectious particle develops into a
reticulate body. The yield of chlamydial elementary bodies is maximal 36 to
50 hours after infection
Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria. They lack several metabolic
and biosynthetic pathways and depend on the host cell for intermediates,
including ATP. Chlamydiae exist as two stages: (1) infectious particles
called elementary bodies and (2) intracytoplasmic, reproductive forms called
reticulate bodies. The chlamydiae consist of three species, C trachomatis, C
psittaci, and C pneumoniae causes severe pneumoniae in humans..















Classification:

Domain:



Bacteria
Class: Chlamydiae
Order: Chlamydiales
Family: Chlamydiaceae
Genus: Chlamydia


Mycoplasma:

Mycoplasma refers to a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall.
[1]
Without a
cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin
or other beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. They can be
parasitic or saprotrophic. Several species are pathogenic in humans,
including
M. pneumoniae, which is an important cause of atypical pneumonia and
other respiratory disorders, and M. genitalium, which is believed to be
involved in pelvic inflammatory diseases. Mycoplasma are the smallest
living cells yet discovered,
[2]
can survive without oxygen and are typically
about 0.1 m in diameter.
The Mycoplasma genus of bacteria consists of a number of different
species. According to the Mayo Clinic, Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of
the species of bacteria responsible for a mild form of the lung infection
pneumonia. People infected with the Mycoplasma bacteria may also
experience sore throat or bronchitis.













Classification:

Kingdom:








;Bacteria
Phylum:
Tenericutes or
Firmicutes
Class: Mollicutes
Order: Mycoplasmatales
Family: Mycoplasmataceae
Genus: Mycoplasma
























Archaeabacteria:

The Archaea singular (archaeon) are a domain or kingdom of single-celled
microorganisms. These microbes are prokaryotes, meaning they have no cell
nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles in their cells.
Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name
archaebacteria (in Kingdom Monera), but this classification is outdated.
[1]

Archaeal cells have unique properties separating them from the other two
domains of life: Bacteria and Eukaryota. The Archaea are further divided
into four recognized phyla.
Bacteria are of two groups eubacteria and archae bacteria. The eubacteria are
commonly found in soil, water and living in or on larger organisms include
the gram positive and the gram negative and the cyanobacteria. Archae
bacteria are a group of ancient bacteria.
Classification is difficult because the majority have not been studied in the
laboratory and have only been detected by analysis of their nucleic acids in
samples from their environment.
Archaebacteria are obligate anaerobes and they survive only in oxygen-free
environments.
They are known as extremophiles, as they are able to live in a variety of
environment. Some species can live in the temperatures above boiling point
at 100 degree Celsius or 212 degree Fahrenheit. They can also survive in
acidic, alkaline or saline aquatic environment. Some can withstand a
pressure of more than 200 atmospheres.

The size of archaebacteria ranges from one-tenth of a micrometer to more
than 15 micrometers. Some of archaebacteria have flagella.
Like all prokaryotes, archaebacteria don't possess the membrane-bound
organelles.
They don't have nuclei, endoplasmic reticula, Golgi complexes,
mitochondria, chloroplasts, or lysosomes.
The cells consist of a thick cytoplasm that contains all the compounds and
molecules required for metabolism and nutrition. Their cell wall doesn't
contain peptidoglycan. The rigid cell wall supports the cell and allows an
archaebacterium to maintain its shape. It also protects the cell from bursting
when present in a hypotonic environment.

Archaebacteria have lipids in their cell membranes. They are composed of
branched hydrocarbon chains, connected to glycerol by ether linkages.
Since these organisms don't have nuclei, the genetic material floats freely in
the cytoplasm. They consist of ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Their DNA
contains a single, circular molecule, which is compact and tightly wound.
No protein is associated with DNA.

The archaebacterial cell may contain plasmids, which are small, circular
pieces of DNA. They can duplicate independent of a larger, genomic DNA
circle. Plasmids often code for antibiotic resistance or particular enzymes.
Morphologically they may be spherical rod shaped, spiral lobed, plate
shaped irregularly shaped or pleromorphic. They range in diameter from 0-
1 to over 15 um in length.




Classification of Archae bacteria:
i) Strict or obligate anaerobes
They live only in the absence of oxygen.They are of two types
1.Methanogens
They produce methane from carbon dioxide or formic acid. In biogas plants these
bacteria are responsible for the production of the biogas. Some methanogens live
as symbionts in the rumen of the cattle. They help in the digestion of cellulose in
their diet.
2.Halophiles
They live in the extreme salt environments. In the presence of light, the cell
membrane becomes pigmented. It absorbs the light and captures energy as ATP
molecules. They are only organism capable of captures light energy without
photosynthesis.
ii) Facultative anaerobes
They are aerobic bacteria but can live in anaerobic conditions. They are mainly
known as thermoacidophilies (temperature and acid living archaebacteria). They
found on hot sulphur springs. They oxidise sulphur to sulphuric acid under aerobic
conditions at about 80
0
C. They are found in marshy places.