Rhodococcus erythropolis
Rhodococcus erythropolis is an aerobic Gram-positive bacterium species in the genus Rhodococcus. The name Rhodococcus erythropolis is derived from its morphogenetic cycle from branching to rod and to coccus morphology, which explains the series of morphological changes this bacterium undergoing during growth and development processes. These bacterium are found in red and orange colonies when observed this explains the species name erythropolis which means "red city" in Greek.
Characteristics and adaptability
This bacterium is aerobic and can be found in soil surfaces where oxygen is abundant and is described as red and orange colored when they are cultured on a medium. This bacterium is non-motile and have an unusual cell envelope composition characterized by a high mycolic acid content, which helps to elevate the cell surface ability of hydrophobicity. This characteristic of the cell surface helps the bacterium to survive between polar and non-polar media.Diversity
Rhodococcus strains as well as R. erythropolis variants are widely distributed throughout diverse environments ranging from sea level to Alpine soils, deep sea to coastal sediments and Arctic to Antarctic samples. This wide distribution explains their adaptability and resilience in various ecosystems. ''R. erythropolis has been isolated from the air of the Russian Space Laboratory Mir along with a large number of other microorganisms that steadily accumulated during the lifespan of the station. Rhodococcus'' bacteria are known to degrade organic compounds contained in the rubber used aboard the space station with specialized enzymes. This can lead to degradation of critical components and necessitates replacement of the parts or preventive measures dealing with microbial contamination.History
R. erythropolis was named as Mycobacterium erythropolis, and then later called with other names such as Nocardia erythropolis etc., before changing it to Rhodococcus erythropolis based on its growth and morphological characteristics.Pathogenicity
There were few cases that are infected by R. erythropolis. This bacterium found on various sites of the body such as skin, eye, and bloodstream, and in sputum of a pulmonary illness patient. Though Rhodococcus ''spp. are found to be infectious to plants and animals, the R. erythropolis'' is believed to have minimal pathogenic potential; however, sporadic reports have highlighted its clinically significant involvement in certain cases.Metabolism
Rhodococcus erythropolis exhibits a metabolic diversity and produces enzymes that are capable to degrade a wide range of hydrophobic compounds, and xenobiotics such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dibenzothiophenes. This metabolic versatility is due to the presence and movement of large plasmids, also due to the multiple homologous enzymes in catabolic pathways, to enrich the bacterium versatility. Due to the bacterium ability of resisting to tough chemicals and breaking down difficult-to-remove compounds like lignin, petroleum, and pesticides, R. erythropolis are called as master of metabolisms and remarkable. Hence it explains the widely usage of the R. eythropolis for degrading environmental pollutions.R. erythropolis is capable of changing the fatty acid composition of its membrane in response to different carbon sources which helps to maintain membrane fluidity and essential biological functions under different environmental conditions. This explains its ability of resilience and adaptability. This micro-organism exhibits Oligotrophic growth and is referred with this term since its CO2 fixation system is not yet discovered.