Name: Agrobacterium Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Genus

Proposed as: gen. nov.

Etymology: A.gro.bac.te’ri.um. Gr. masc. n. agros, a field; N.L. neut. n. bacterium, a small rod; N.L. neut. n. Agrobacterium, a small field rod

Gender, pronunciation (Latin): neuter (stem: Agrobacteri-), a-gro-bak-TE-ri-um

Type species: Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend 1907) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Conn HJ. Validity of the Genus Alcaligenes. J Bacteriol 1942; 44:353-360.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP, conserved name

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Emendations:
  • Sawada et al. 1993 Sawada H, Ieki H, Oyaizu H, Matsumoto S. Proposal for rejection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and revised descriptions for the genus Agrobacterium and for Agrobacterium radiobacter and Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1993; 43:694-702. 🇯🇵 Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 43, part 4 of the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1994; 44:184.
    Notes:
    • 😢 The terminology used by the authors is in line with many other taxonomic studies and does not negatively affect their main results; some improvements may nevertheless be possible. Contrasting the term "chemotaxonomic" with "phenotypic" is not recommended. Using the term "phylogenetic data" (or equivalent) for sequence data is not advocated. See the LPSN phylogeny page for details.
    • 🧍 Sawada et al. 1993 propose the emendation of the genus Agrobacterium Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980) with the designation of Agrobacterium radiobacter (Beijerinck and van Delden 1902) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Sawada et al. 1993, as the neotype species, and the rejection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend 1907) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980). According to Rule 56a, only the Judicial Commission can place a name on the list of rejected names. As yet this request is provisional.

• Notes:
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1981) assigned this genus to the subkingdom "Eubacteria" Cavalier-Smith 1981. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. Eukaryote kingdoms: seven or nine? Biosystems 1981; 14:461-481.
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1998) assigned this genus to the infraphylum "Alphabacteria" (Cavalier-Smith 1992) Cavalier-Smith 1998. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. A revised six-kingdom system of life. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 1998; 73:203-266. 🇬🇧
  • 🚋 The type species of this genus has alternatively been placed in the genus "Bacterium" Ehrenberg 1831. Publication: Smith EF, Townsend CO. A PLANT-TUMOR OF BACTERIAL ORIGIN. Science 1907; 25:671-673.
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Aarobacterium"; "Agmbacterium"; "Agobacterium"; "Agroabcterium"; "Agrobacfenum"; "Agrobacferium"; "Agrobaclcr"; "Agrobaclcrium"; "Agrobaclerium"; "Agrobacmrium"; "Agrobacrerium"; "Agrobacserium"; "Agrobactcrzum"; "Agrobacteirum"; "Agrobactenum"; "Agrobacterinum"; "Agrobacterioum"; "Agrobacteriuni"; "Agrobacterrum"; "Agrobactertium"; "Agrobacterzum"; "Agrobactevium"; "Agrobactorium"; "Agrobactprium"; "Agrobactrium"; "Agrobactwium"; "Agrobaeterium"; "Agrobaozerium"; "Agroboderium"; "Agrobuclcrium"; "Agrobucterium"; "Agrohacterium"; "Agtobacterium"; "Agxobacterium"; "Argobacterium"; "Ayrobacterium". — 🤨 This taxon name is occasionally used in plural form as: "Agrobacteria".
  • 🖹 Minimal standards for the description of new taxa in this group were published in 1991. Publication: Graham PH, Sadowsky MJ, Keyser HH, Barnet YM, Bradley RS, Cooper JE, de Ley DJ, W. Jarvis BD, Roslycky. B.w. Strijdom EB, W. Young JP. Proposed Minimal Standards for the Description of New Genera and Species of Root- and Stem-Nodulating Bacteria. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 1991; 41:582-587. 🇳🇿
  • 🖹 Minimal standards for the description of new taxa in this group were published in 2019. Publication: de Lajudie PM, Andrews M, Ardley J, Eardly B, Jumas-Bilak E, Kuzmanovic N, Lassalle F, Lindstrom K, Mhamdi R, Martinez-Romero E, et al. Minimal standards for the description of new genera and species of rhizobia and agrobacteria. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:1852-1863. 🇫🇷
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: de Lajudie PM, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of rhizobia and agrobacteria Minutes of the closed meeting, Granada, 4 September 2017. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:3363-3368. 🇫🇷
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: de Lajudie P, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria Minutes of the meeting by video conference, 11 July 2018. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:1835-1840. 🇫🇷
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Lindström K, Martinez-Romero ME. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium. Minutes of the meeting, 4 July 2001, Hamilton, Canada. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2002; 52:2337.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Gargani G, Lopez-Merino A. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology, Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella correspondence report (interim report 1991-1993). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2006; 56:1167-1168.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: de Lajudie P, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria Minutes of the closed meeting by videoconference, 17 July 2019. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:3563-3571. 🇫🇷
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: de Lajudie PM, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee for the Taxonomy of Rhizobium and Agrobacterium Minutes of the meeting, Budapest, 25 August 2016. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:2485-2494. 🇫🇷
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Lindstrom K, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium: minutes of the meeting, 7 September 2010, Geneva, Switzerland. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2011; 61:3089-3093.
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria. Minutes of the closed annual meeting: videoconference on 11 October 2022 followed by online discussion until 31 December 2022. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73:5856. 🇬🇧
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes, Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria, minutes of the annual meeting by videoconference, 5 July 2021, followed by online discussion until 31 December 2021. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5453. 🇫🇮
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria: Minutes of the closed annual meeting, videoconference on 2 October 2023, followed by online discussion until 31 December 2023. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6276. 🇫🇮
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Mousavi SA, Young JPW. International committee on systematics of prokaryotes subcommittee on the taxonomy of rhizobia and agrobacteria: Minutes of the 2025 closed annual meeting. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2026; 76:7149. 🇫🇮
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Yan et al. (2017), Pulawska et al. (2022), Kuzmanovic et al. (2022). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
  • 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: LMG: 22; DSM: 18; ATCC: 14; CFBP: 14; JCM: 12; CIP: 10; HAMBI: 10; NBRC: 9; IFO: 9; NCPPB: 8.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "genomosp. 10: 1 plant pathogen - biological class of risk plant: 2; genomosp. 11: 1 plant pathogen - biological class of risk plant: 2". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 1 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 1". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "AGBT" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer. Publication: Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.
  • 🧍 See also Holmes and Roberts (1981). Publication: Holmes B, Roberts P. The Classification, Identification and Nomenclature of Agrobacteria. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 1981; 50:443-467. 🇬🇧
  • 🧍 See Young et al. (2003) for an overview of the taxonomy and nomenclature of the group. Publication: Young JM, Kuykendall LD, Martinez-Romero E, Kerr A, Sawada H. Classification and nomenclature of Agrobacterium and Rhizobium. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2003; 53:1689-1695. 🇳🇿
  • 🧍 Conserved name (Judicial Opinion 33). While this name was conserved, Polymonas Lieske 1928 was rejected. Later revisions of the Code make no direct connection between conservation of a name and rejection of its counterpart. Publication: Judicial Commission. Judicial Opinion No. 33. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1970; 20:10.
  • 🧍 Request for an Opinion concerning the type species of the genus Agrobacterium (IJSB 44:373); decision: A. tumefaciens is the type species (IJSB 45:196); type species transferred to the genus Rhizobium; IJSEM 51:99. Publication: Bouzar H. Request for a Judicial Opinion Concerning the Type Species of Agrobacterium. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1994; 44:373-374.
  • 🧍 Sawada et al. [1] proposed that the name Agrobacterium tumefaciens should be rejected because it is a later synonym of Agrobacterium radiobacter. In a letter to the editor (Request for a Judicial Opinion concerning the type species of Agrobacterium) Bouzar [2] reviewed the situation, noting that all prior commission actions had the effect of conserving Agrobacterium tumefaciens as the type species of the genus Agrobacterium. That is, all requests remained provisional. In an author's reply (Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1994, 44, 374), Oyaizu and Sawada [3] agreed that Agrobacterium tumefaciens should remain the type species of the genus Agrobacterium. The commission [4] accepted Bouzar's position that Agrobacterium tumefaciens is still the type species; no further action is needed. Publication: Sawada H, Ieki H, Oyaizu H, Matsumoto S. Proposal for rejection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and revised descriptions for the genus Agrobacterium and for Agrobacterium radiobacter and Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1993; 43:694-702. 🇯🇵

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 21
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 28
Total number of child taxa: 37

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    "Agrobacterium albertimagni" Salmassi et al. 2002	not validly published	synonym
    Agrobacterium arsenijevicii Kuzmanović et al. 2019	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium atlanticum Rüger and Höfle 1992	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Agrobacterium aurantiacum" Yokoyama et al. 1994	not validly published	preferred name
    "Agrobacterium bohemicum" Zahradnik et al. 2018	not validly published	preferred name
    Agrobacterium burrii Mafakheri et al. 2022	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium cavarae Flores-Félix et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium cucumeris Warabieda et al. 2023	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium deltae corrig. Yan et al. 2026	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium deltaense Yan et al. 2026	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Agrobacterium divergens Naranjo et al. 2023	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium fabacearum Delamuta et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Agrobacterium fabrum" Lassalle et al. 2011	not validly published	preferred name
    Agrobacterium ferrugineum (ex Ahrens and Rheinheimer 1967) Rüger and Höfle 1992	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Agrobacterium gelatinovorum (ex Ahrens 1968) Rüger and Höfle 1992	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Agrobacterium kieliense" Ahrens 1968	not validly published	preferred name
    Agrobacterium larrymoorei Bouzar and Jones 2001	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium leguminum Castellano-Hinojosa et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium meteori Rüger and Höfle 1992	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Agrobacterium nepotum (Puławska et al. 2012) Mousavi et al. 2016	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Agrobacterium oryzihabitans" (Zhao et al. 2020) Ma et al. 2023	not validly published	preferred name
    Agrobacterium pusense (Panday et al. 2011) Mousavi et al. 2016	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium radiobacter (Beijerinck and van Delden 1902) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium rhizogenes (Riker et al. 1930) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Agrobacterium rosae Kuzmanović et al. 2019	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium rubi (Hildebrand 1940) Starr and Weiss 1943 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium salinitolerans Yan et al. 2017	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Agrobacterium sanguineum" Ahrens and Rheinheimer 1967	not validly published	synonym
    Agrobacterium shirazense Mafakheri et al. 2022	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium skierniewicense (Puławska et al. 2012) Mousavi et al. 2016	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Agrobacterium stellulatum" Stapp and Knösel 1954	not validly published	preferred name
    Agrobacterium stellulatum (ex Stapp and Knösel 1954) Rüger and Höfle 1992	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Agrobacterium tomkonis Singh et al. 2022	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Smith and Townsend 1907) Conn 1942 (Approved Lists 1980)	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium vaccinii Puławska et al. 2022	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium vacciniicorymbosi Iličić et al. 2026	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Agrobacterium vitis Ophel and Kerr 1990	validly published under the ICNP	synonym

Parent taxon: Rhizobiaceae Conn 1938 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Mousavi SA, Willems A, Nesme X, de Lajudie P, Lindstrom K. Revised phylogeny of Rhizobiaceae: proposal of the delineation of Pararhizobium gen. nov., and 13 new species combinations. Syst Appl Microbiol 2015; 38:84-90. 🇫🇮

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Record number: 515059