Genus Rhodobacter

Name: Rhodobacter Imhoff et al. 1984

Category, proposed as: genus, gen. nov.

Etymology: Rho.do.bac’ter. Gr. neut. n. rhodon, a rose; N.L. masc. n. bacter, rod; N.L. masc. n. Rhodobacter, red-colored rod

Gender, pronunciation (Latin): masculine (stem: Rhodobacter-), r^ho-do-BAK-ter

Type species: Rhodobacter capsulatus (Molisch 1907) Imhoff et al. 1984

Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS

16S rRNA gene: Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Imhoff JF, Trüper HG, Pfennig N. Rearrangement of the species and genera of the phototrophic "purple nonsulfur bacteria". Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1984; 34:340-343. 🇩🇪

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 1

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Stagnihabitans Ma et al. 2022	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Sedimentimonas Mu et al. 2024	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Sinirhodobacter corrig. Yang et al. 2018	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Paenirhodobacter Wang et al. 2014	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Sinorhodobacter Yang et al. 2018	heterotypic synonym, inaccurate spelling

• Emendations:
  • Srinivas et al. 2007 Srinivas TN, Kumar PA, Sasikala Ch, Ramana ChV, Imhoff JF. Rhodobacter vinaykumarii sp. nov., a marine phototrophic alphaproteobacterium from tidal waters, and emended description of the genus Rhodobacter. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:1984-1987. 🇮🇳 Euzeby JP. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 57, part 9 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:2727-2728.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 1 new species in the genus.
  • Wang et al. 2014 Wang D, Liu H, Zheng S, Wang G. Paenirhodobacter enshiensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a non-photosynthetic bacterium isolated from soil, and emended descriptions of the genera Rhodobacter and Haematobacter. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:551-558. 🇨🇳 Oren A, Garrity GM. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 64, part 2 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:1459-1460.
  • Suresh et al. 2019 Suresh G, Lodha TD, Indu B, Sasikala C, Ramana CV. Taxogenomics Resolves Conflict in the Genus Rhodobacter: A Two and Half Decades Pending Thought to Reclassify the Genus Rhodobacter. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2480. 🇮🇳 Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 32. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4061-4090.
    Notes:
    • ⊖ Emendation accompanied by the removal of 3 species from the genus.
  • Huang et al. 2024 Huang MH, Zhang DF, Wang HC, He W, Song XR. Description of Rhodobacter flavimaris sp. nov. and proposal of the genera Paenirhodobacter, Sedimentimonas, and Sinirhodobacter as synonyms of Rhodobacter. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2024; 74:6540. 🇨🇳 Oren A, Göker M. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 74, part 10 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2025; 75:6588.
    Notes:
    • ⊕ Emendation accompanied by the proposal of 7 new species in the genus.

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Rhodobacteraceae Garrity et al. 2006. Publication: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Family I. Rhodobacteraceae fam. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 161. 🇺🇸
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the order Rhodobacterales Garrity et al. 2006. Publication: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Order III. Rhodobacterales ord. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 161. 🇺🇸
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the phylum "Rhodobacteriota" Wang et al. 2026. Publication: Wang X, Hou Q, Li F, Wang L, Zhang X, Yang R, Aqeel M, Tang C, Chen G. Effects of different planting patterns on potato rhizosphere soil microbial composition and yield. BMC Microbiol 2026; 26:0. 🇨🇳
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the phylum "Rhodobacterota" corrig. Wang et al. 2026. Publication: Wang X, Hou Q, Li F, Wang L, Zhang X, Yang R, Aqeel M, Tang C, Chen G. Effects of different planting patterns on potato rhizosphere soil microbial composition and yield. BMC Microbiol 2026; 26:0. 🇨🇳
  • 🧕 Brenner et al. (2005) assigned this genus to the family Rhodobacteraceae Garrity et al. 2006. Publication: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Family I. Rhodobacteraceae fam. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 161. 🇺🇸
  • 🧕 Brenner et al. (2005) assigned this genus to the order Rhodobacterales Garrity et al. 2006. Publication: Garrity GM, Bell JA, Lilburn T. Order III. Rhodobacterales ord. nov. In: Brenner DJ, Krieg NR, Staley JT, Garrity GM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, 2nd edn, vol. 2 (The Proteobacteria), part C (The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria), Springer, New York, 2005, p. 161. 🇺🇸
  • 🧕 Cavalier-Smith (2002) assigned this genus to the class Alphabacteria Cavalier-Smith 2002. Publication: Cavalier-Smith T. The neomuran origin of archaebacteria, the negibacterial root of the universal tree and bacterial megaclassification. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:7-76. 🇬🇧
  • 🚋 The type species of this genus has alternatively been placed in the genus [Rhodonostoc]. Publication: Molisch H. Die Purpurbakterien nach neuen Untersuchungen I-VII. G. Fischer, Jena, 1907.
  • 🚋 The type species of this genus has alternatively been placed in the genus Rhodopseudomonas Czurda and Maresch 1937 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: van Niel CB. THE CULTURE, GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY, MORPHOLOGY, AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE NON-SULFUR PURPLE AND BROWN BACTERIA. Bacteriol Rev 1944; 8:1-118.
  • 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Rbodobacter"; "Rhcdobacter"; "Rhdobacter"; "Rhobobacter"; "Rhoclobacter"; "Rkodobacter"; "Rliodobacier"; "Rliodobacter"; "Rodobacter"; "Rrhodobacter"; "Rtiodobacter"; "Thodobacter"; "Zodobacter".
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Imhoff JF, Madigan MT. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of phototrophic bacteria. Minutes of the Meetings, 28 August 2000, Barcelona, Spain. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2002; 52:2335-2336. 🇩🇪
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Trueper HG, Imhoff JF. ICSB, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE TAXONOMY OF THE PHOTOTROPHIC BACTERIA: Minutes of the meetings, 10 September 1997, Vienna, Austria. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1999; 49:925-926. 🇩🇪
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Imhoff JF, Wilmotte A. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of phototrophic bacteria: minutes of the meetings, 11 August 2009, Montreal, Canada. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2014; 64:3907-3909. 🇩🇪
  • 🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP. Publication: Imhoff JF, Wilmotte A. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes. Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Phototrophic Bacteria: Minutes of the meetings, 4 August 2015, Tubingen, Germany. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5211. 🇧🇪
  • 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Shalem-Raj et al. (2013), Suresh et al. (2017), Neutzling et al. (1984), Hiraishi et al. (1996), Ma 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 phylogenomic assignment score of this taxon is 0.15640 (N = 1).
  • 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: DSM: 16; KCTC: 14; JCM: 13; LMG: 12; NBRC: 8; CCUG: 8; ATCC: 8; CIP: 7; IFO: 6; CGMCC: 5.
  • 😷 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 "ROBT" 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.

Subdivision:

Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 24
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 37
Total number of child taxa: 43

• Child taxa:

  • Name	Nomenclatural status	Taxonomic status
    Rhodobacter adriaticus (Neutzling et al. 1984) Imhoff et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter aestuarii Venkata Ramana et al. 2009	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter alkalitolerans Gandham et al. 2019	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter amnigenus Chen et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter azollae Suresh et al. 2017	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter azotoformans Hiraishi et al. 1997	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter blastica (Eckersley and Dow 1981) Kawasaki et al. 1994	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    Rhodobacter blasticus corrig. (Eckersley and Dow 1981) Kawasaki et al. 1994	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    "Rhodobacter calidifons" Kyndt et al. 2022	not validly published	preferred name
    Rhodobacter capsulatus (Molisch 1907) Imhoff et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter changlensis Anil Kumar et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter enshiensis (Wang et al. 2014) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter euryhalinus Kompantseva 1989	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter ferrireducens (Yang et al. 2018) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Rhodobacter ferrooxidans" Ehrenreich 1995	not validly published	preferred name
    Rhodobacter flagellatus Xian et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter flavescens (Mu et al. 2024) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter flavimaris Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter hankyongi (Lee et al. 2020) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter huangdaonensis (Xi et al. 2019) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter johrii Girija et al. 2010	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter kunshanensis Liu et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter lacus Suresh et al. 2017	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Rhodobacter lobularis" Jourda et al. 2015	inaccurate spelling	misspelling
    "Rhodobacter marinus" Burgess et al. 1994	not validly published	preferred name
    Rhodobacter maris Venkata Ramana et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter massiliensis Greub and Raoult 2006	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter megalophilus Arunasri et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    "Candidatus Rhodobacter oscarellae" corrig. Jourda et al. 2015	not validly published	pro-correct name
    Rhodobacter ovatus Srinivas et al. 2008	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter populi (Xu et al. 2019) Huang et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter ruber Chen et al. 2021	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter sediminicola Suresh et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter sediminis Subhash and Lee 2016	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter sphaeroides (van Niel 1944) Imhoff et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter sulfidophilus (Hansen and Veldkamp 1973) Imhoff et al. 1984	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter tardus Sheu et al. 2020	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter thermarum Khan et al. 2019	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter veldkampii Hansen and Imhoff 1985	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter vinaykumarii Srinivas et al. 2007	validly published under the ICNP	synonym
    Rhodobacter viridis Shalem Raj et al. 2013	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter xanthinilyticus Lee et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name
    Rhodobacter xinxiangensis Han et al. 2024	validly published under the ICNP	correct name

Parent taxon: Paracoccaceae Liang et al. 2022

Assigned by: Goker M. Filling the gaps: missing taxon names at the ranks of class, order and family. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 72:5638. 🇩🇪

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Record number: 517107

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