Nocardia africana

General Information

Nocardia africana is a fascinating microorganism belonging to the genus Nocardia, which is known for its complex life cycle and ability to degrade a wide range of organic compounds. One of the most intriguing aspects of Nocardia africana is its role in human health, particularly in causing nocardiosis, an infection that can affect the lungs, brain, and skin. This makes it a significant pathogen, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Nocardia africana is also notable for its biotechnological potential. Members of the Nocardia genus are known for their ability to produce a variety of bioactive compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, and immunosuppressants. This makes Nocardia africana a valuable subject for research in drug discovery and development. From an ecological perspective, Nocardia africana plays a role in the decomposition of organic matter in soil, contributing to nutrient cycling. Its ability to degrade complex hydrocarbons also makes it a candidate for bioremediation efforts, particularly in the cleanup of oil spills and other environmental contaminants. In summary, Nocardia africana is a microorganism of significant interest due to its pathogenic potential, biotechnological applications, and environmental impact. Its study not only advances our understanding of infectious diseases but also opens up new avenues for the development of novel therapeutic agents and environmental cleanup strategies.

Nocardia africana is a notable species within the genus Nocardia, which is known for its unique characteristics and significance in both environmental and clinical contexts. This actinobacterial species is primarily found in soil and decaying organic matter, contributing to the degradation of complex organic compounds, which makes it an important player in nutrient cycling and soil health. Its ability to degrade hydrocarbons positions N. africana as a potential candidate for bioremediation efforts, particularly in environments contaminated with petroleum products or other organic pollutants. From a clinical perspective, N. africana is recognized for its role as an opportunistic pathogen, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. It can cause nocardiosis, a serious infection that may affect the lungs, skin, and central nervous system. The species is particularly interesting due to its varied clinical manifestations, which can complicate diagnosis and treatment. This highlights the need for further research into its pathogenic mechanisms and the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Additionally, N. africana has been studied for its antibiotic resistance profiles, which are crucial for understanding treatment options and the challenges posed by multidrug-resistant strains. The genetic and biochemical pathways that confer resistance are of significant interest to researchers aiming to combat infections caused by this organism. Overall, Nocardia africana stands out not only for its ecological roles but also for its implications in human health, making it a valuable subject for ongoing research in microbiology, environmental science, and medicine.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Actinomycetota

Class: Actinomycetes

Order: Mycobacteriales

Family: Nocardiaceae

Genus: Nocardia

Species: Nocardia africana

NCBI ID

134964

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCA/020/731/565/GCA_020731565.1_ASM2073156v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCA_020731565.1_ASM2073156v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The organism Nocardia africana is a member of the genus Nocardia, which is known for its role in human health and disease. It is primarily associated with pulmonary infections and can lead to nocardiosis, a serious condition that often affects immunocompromised individuals. The clinical implications of N. africana include its potential to cause cutaneous infections, central nervous system infections, and systemic disease in susceptible hosts. One of the significant challenges with N. africana is its antimicrobial resistance. This organism exhibits resistance to multiple antibiotics, which complicates treatment options. The most effective treatment typically involves the use of sulfonamides, but resistance patterns can vary, necessitating susceptibility testing. In terms of immune evasion, N. africana has developed strategies to survive within host macrophages, allowing it to persist and cause chronic infections. This ability to evade the immune response is a critical factor in its pathogenicity. While N. africana is not commonly associated with outbreaks, its role in opportunistic infections highlights the importance of awareness among healthcare providers, especially in patients with underlying health conditions. Overall, understanding the clinical implications of N. africana is essential for effective diagnosis and management of infections it may cause.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

Nocardia africana is a species of actinobacteria commonly found in various soil environments and decaying organic matter. This microorganism thrives particularly well in tropical and subtropical regions, where the warm and humid conditions promote its growth. Its ecological niche is often associated with nutrient-rich soils, where it plays a significant role in the decomposition of organic materials, contributing to nutrient cycling within the ecosystem. In terms of its interactions with the environment, Nocardia africana is known for its ability to degrade complex organic compounds, which aids in the breakdown of pollutants and enhances soil fertility. This organism can also form symbiotic relationships with plants, promoting plant health by enhancing nutrient availability through its metabolic processes. Additionally, Nocardia africana exhibits notable environmental adaptations, allowing it to survive in various conditions, including those with limited nutrients. Its resilience and metabolic versatility make it an important player in soil microbiomes, where it can influence the microbial community structure and function. Overall, Nocardia africana is a vital component of its associated biomes, contributing to ecological balance and sustainability through its roles in decomposition, nutrient cycling, and potential symbiotic interactions.

Industrial Application

Source: gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18

The microorganism Nocardia africana has shown potential in various industrial applications, particularly in the fields of biotechnology and waste management. This actinobacterium is known for its ability to degrade a wide range of organic compounds, making it a valuable player in biodegradation processes. For instance, Nocardia africana can effectively break down complex pollutants in contaminated environments, contributing to the remediation of hazardous waste sites. In the realm of biofuel production, Nocardia africana has been studied for its capacity to metabolize hydrocarbons, which can be harnessed in the production of biofuels from waste materials. The organism's enzymatic activity allows it to convert these substrates into usable energy forms, thus playing a role in the development of sustainable energy solutions. Moreover, in pharmaceutical development, Nocardia africana has been investigated for its potential to produce bioactive compounds. These compounds may have therapeutic properties, which could lead to the development of new drugs. The organism's unique metabolic pathways are of particular interest for the production of novel antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Overall, the diverse capabilities of Nocardia africana in fermentation, biodegradation, and enzyme production highlight its significance in various industrial sectors, paving the way for innovative applications in environmental management and biotechnology.

Phenotypes and Predictions

The table shows the phenotypes and predictions. Cell colors indicate the class of the value. When literature-based data is available, a checkmark (✓) indicates a correct prediction, while an ✗ indicates an incorrect prediction.

Literature-based phenotypes: 9

LLM predicted phenotypes: 3

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/gemini-pro-1.5	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	openchat/openchat-7b	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	google/gemini-pro	google/gemini-pro	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/gemma-7b-it	google/gemma-7b-it	google/gemini-flash-1.5	google/gemini-flash-1.5	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct
Motility	FALSE	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Gram staining	gram stain positive	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain negative ✗	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓
Aerophilicity	aerobic	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓
Biosafety level	biosafety level 2	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 3 ✗	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 2 ✓	biosafety level 3 ✗	biosafety level 3 ✗
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Host association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true
Plant pathogenicity	FALSE	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	TRUE	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗
Hemolysis	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cell shape	bacillus	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	coccus ✗	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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