Nocardia aurantiaca

General Information

Nocardia aurantiaca 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 noteworthy characteristics of Nocardia aurantiaca is its production of a distinctive orange pigment, which not only gives the bacterium its name but also serves as a useful phenotypic marker in microbiological studies. This organism is particularly interesting due to its metabolic versatility. Nocardia aurantiaca can degrade various hydrocarbons and other complex organic molecules, making it a valuable candidate for bioremediation efforts. Its ability to break down pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other recalcitrant compounds highlights its potential in environmental cleanup projects. From a research perspective, Nocardia aurantiaca is also significant because of its antibiotic production. Members of the genus Nocardia are known to produce a variety of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial properties, and Nocardia aurantiaca is no exception. The study of these compounds can lead to the discovery of new antibiotics, which is crucial in the fight against antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Additionally, the genomic complexity of Nocardia aurantiaca offers a rich field for genetic and molecular biology research. Its genome contains numerous genes involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites, as well as those responsible for its robust catabolic pathways. Understanding these genetic elements can provide insights into microbial metabolism and the evolution of metabolic pathways. In summary, Nocardia aurantiaca is a microorganism of significant interest due to its pigment production, metabolic capabilities, antibiotic potential, and genomic richness. These characteristics make it a valuable subject for research in microbiology, environmental science, and biotechnology.

Nocardia aurantiaca is a fascinating actinobacterium known for its unique ecological niche and metabolic capabilities. This microorganism is primarily found in soil and is notable for its ability to degrade a variety of organic compounds, including hydrocarbons, which makes it a potential candidate for bioremediation applications. Its capacity to break down complex pollutants is particularly valuable in environmental microbiology, as it can contribute to the detoxification of contaminated sites. One of the most interesting aspects of Nocardia aurantiaca is its production of secondary metabolites, which can have significant implications in pharmaceutical research. These metabolites may possess antimicrobial properties, making this organism a subject of interest for the discovery of new antibiotics. The potential for novel drug development from this species highlights its importance in the field of natural product chemistry. Additionally, Nocardia aurantiaca has been studied for its role in the nitrogen cycle, particularly in its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. This characteristic not only contributes to soil fertility but also underscores the organism's ecological significance. The study of its genetic and metabolic pathways can provide insights into microbial interactions within ecosystems, further enhancing our understanding of microbial ecology. In summary, Nocardia aurantiaca stands out due to its bioremediation potential, pharmaceutical applications, and ecological contributions, making it a valuable organism for both environmental and medical research.

Taxonomy

Superkingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Actinomycetota

Class: Actinomycetes

Order: Mycobacteriales

Family: Nocardiaceae

Genus: Nocardia

Species: Nocardia aurantiaca

NCBI ID

2675850

Genome Info

FTP Path:
ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomes/all/GCF/009/708/175/GCF_009708175.1_ASM970817v1

File for sequence-based predictions:
GCF_009708175.1_ASM970817v1_genomic.fasta

Descriptions

Clinical Implications and Relevance

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

The organism Nocardia aurantiaca is a member of the genus Nocardia, which is known for its clinical significance in human health. It is primarily associated with pulmonary infections and can lead to nocardiosis, a disease that primarily affects immunocompromised individuals. The clinical implications of N. aurantiaca include its role in causing cutaneous infections, central nervous system infections, and systemic infections in susceptible patients. This microorganism exhibits pathogenicity through its ability to evade the immune response by producing a complex cell wall that resists phagocytosis. Additionally, it can form biofilms, which further complicates treatment and eradication efforts. In terms of antimicrobial resistance, N. aurantiaca has shown resistance to several common antibiotics, including beta-lactams, which poses a challenge in clinical management. Treatment typically involves the use of sulfonamides or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but resistance patterns can vary, necessitating susceptibility testing. While N. aurantiaca is not commonly associated with outbreaks, its presence in clinical specimens highlights the importance of recognizing this organism in patients with immunosuppression or those with underlying lung disease. Overall, understanding the clinical implications of N. aurantiaca is crucial for effective diagnosis and treatment of nocardiosis.

Habitat and Ecological Niches

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

Nocardia aurantiaca is a filamentous bacterium commonly found in a variety of terrestrial environments, particularly in soil and decaying organic matter. This microorganism thrives in aerobic conditions, where it plays a crucial role in the decomposition of complex organic materials, contributing to nutrient cycling within the ecosystem. Its ability to degrade hydrocarbons makes it particularly significant in polluted environments, where it can help in bioremediation processes by breaking down toxic compounds. In addition to its role in decomposition, Nocardia aurantiaca is known for its interactions with other microorganisms. It can engage in symbiotic relationships with plants, aiding in nutrient uptake and enhancing plant growth. This bacterium is also capable of forming biofilms, which can provide protection and stability in various habitats. Overall, Nocardia aurantiaca is an important player in soil ecosystems, contributing to both ecological balance and environmental health through its diverse metabolic capabilities and interactions with other organisms.

Industrial Application

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

The microorganism Nocardia aurantiaca has shown significant potential in various industrial applications. One of the most notable areas is in biotechnology, where it is utilized for its ability to degrade complex organic compounds. This capability makes it particularly valuable in waste management, where Nocardia aurantiaca can be employed to break down pollutants in contaminated environments, such as oil spills and industrial waste sites. In the realm of biofuel production, Nocardia aurantiaca has been studied for its role in the fermentation of organic materials, which can lead to the generation of biofuels. Its metabolic pathways allow for the conversion of waste biomass into usable energy sources, contributing to sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, Nocardia aurantiaca has potential applications in pharmaceutical development. The organism is known to produce various bioactive compounds that may have therapeutic properties, making it a candidate for further research in drug discovery and development. Overall, the enzymatic activity of Nocardia aurantiaca in processes such as biodegradation and enzyme production highlights its versatility and importance in addressing environmental challenges and advancing industrial 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: 8

LLM predicted phenotypes: 5

Phenotype	High-quality annotation	google/palm-2-chat-bison-32k	google/gemini-flash-1.5	anthropic/claude-3-haiku:beta	meta-llama/llama-3-70b-instruct:nitro	google/gemini-pro	meta-llama/llama-3-8b-instruct:nitro	google/gemma-7b-it	microsoft/phi-3-mini-128k-instruct	mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct:nitro	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-3.5-turbo-0125	openai/gpt-4o	openai/gpt-4o	google/gemini-pro-1.5	google/gemini-pro-1.5	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet	openai/gpt-4	openai/gpt-4	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	microsoft/wizardlm-2-8x22b	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	perplexity/llama-3-sonar-small-32k-chat	openchat/openchat-7b	openchat/openchat-7b	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct	mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct
Motility	FALSE	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗
Gram staining	gram stain positive	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain positive ✓	gram stain variable ✗	gram stain negative ✗	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain positive ✓	N/A	gram stain variable ✗
Aerophilicity	aerobic	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	aerobic ✓	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Extreme environment tolerance	FALSE	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	false ✓	true ✗	true ✗
Biofilm formation	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true
Animal pathogenicity	TRUE	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗
Biosafety level	N/A	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 1	biosafety level 1	biosafety level 1	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
Health association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	false
Host association	N/A	true	true	true	true	true	true	false	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	true	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 ✓	true ✗	true ✗	false ✓	false ✓
Spore formation	TRUE	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓	false ✗	false ✗	true ✓	true ✓
Hemolysis	N/A	N/A	gamma	alpha	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 ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓	bacillus ✓

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