Gordonia is a genus of gram-positive, aerobic, catalase-positive bacterium in the Actinomycetota,[1] closely related to the Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, Skermania, and Nocardia genera.[2] Gordonia bacteria are aerobic, motile, and non-sporulating.[3] Gordonia is from the same lineage that includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis.[2] The genus was discovered by Tsukamura in 1971 and named after American bacteriologist Ruth Gordon.[3]. Many species are often found in the soil,[1] while other species have been isolated from aquatic environments.[4] Gordonia species are rarely known to cause infections in humans.[5]
Some pathogenic instances of Gordonia have been reported to cause skin and soft tissue infections, including bacteremia and cutaneous infections. Though infections are generally treated with antibiotics, surgical procedures are sometimes used to contain infections.[4] Some investigations have found that 28 °C is the ideal temperature for the growth of Gordonia bacteria.[1] Gordonia species often have high G-C base pair contents in DNA, ranging from 63% to 69%.[4] G-C base pair content levels are generally positively correlated with melting temperature.
Some species of Gordonia, such as Gordonia rubripertincta, produce colonies that have a bright orange or orange-red color.[1]
Some strains of Gordonia have recently garnered interest in the biotechnology industry due to their ability to degrade environmental pollutants.[6]
Gordonia bronchialis has occasionally shown pathogenicity, infecting sternal wounds from surgery.[3] However, since G. bronchialis infections can present with minimal and mild symptoms, few reporst of G. bronchialis infections have been documented.[7]
Gordonia can infect immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals.[7]
Gordonia species are able to degrade various environmental pollutants toxins and other natural compounds that cannot regularly be biodegraded. Two common materials, natural and synthetic isoprene rubber (cis-1,4-polyisoprene), can be biodegraded and used as a carbon and energy source by Gordonia.[3]
Gordonia species are also being studied as hosts to bacteriophages, or bacteria-parasitizing viruses. According to the Actinobacteriophage Database PhagesDb.org, more than 2,806 Gordonia-infecting types of bacteriophages have been identified as of April 26, 2023.[8] Research with bacteriophages parasitizing Gordonia and other genera can be used to develop bacteriophage therapies for drug-resistant human, animal, and plant bacterial infections; contamination prevention in food processing facilities; targeted gene delivery; and more.[9]
Gordonia comprises the following species:[10]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) Gordonia is a genus of gram-positive, aerobic, catalase-positive bacterium in the Actinomycetota, closely related to the Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, Skermania, and Nocardia genera. Gordonia bacteria are aerobic, motile, and non-sporulating. Gordonia is from the same lineage that includes Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The genus was discovered by Tsukamura in 1971 and named after American bacteriologist Ruth Gordon.. Many species are often found in the soil, while other species have been isolated from aquatic environments. Gordonia species are rarely known to cause infections in humans.
Some pathogenic instances of Gordonia have been reported to cause skin and soft tissue infections, including bacteremia and cutaneous infections. Though infections are generally treated with antibiotics, surgical procedures are sometimes used to contain infections. Some investigations have found that 28 °C is the ideal temperature for the growth of Gordonia bacteria. Gordonia species often have high G-C base pair contents in DNA, ranging from 63% to 69%. G-C base pair content levels are generally positively correlated with melting temperature.
Some species of Gordonia, such as Gordonia rubripertincta, produce colonies that have a bright orange or orange-red color.
Some strains of Gordonia have recently garnered interest in the biotechnology industry due to their ability to degrade environmental pollutants.
