Alphaproteobacteria

Alphaproteobacteria
Transmission electron micrograph of Wolbachia within an insect cell.
Credit:Public Library of Science / Scott O'Neill
Scientific classification
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Pseudomonadati
Phylum: Pseudomonadota
Class: Alphaproteobacteria
Garrity et al. 2006
Subclasses and orders
Synonyms
  • Caulobacteria Cavalier-Smith 2020
  • Anoxyphotobacteria (Gibbons and Murray 1978) Murray 1988
  • Photobacteria Gibbons and Murray 1978 (Approved Lists 1980)
  • Alphabacteria Cavalier-Smith 2002

Alphaproteobacteria or α-proteobacteria, also called α-Purple bacteria in earlier literature, is a class of bacteria in the phylum Pseudomonadota (formerly "Proteobacteria"). The Magnetococcales and Mariprofundales are considered basal or sister to the Alphaproteobacteria. The Alphaproteobacteria are highly diverse and possess few commonalities, but nevertheless share a common ancestor. Like all Proteobacteria, its members are gram-negative, although some of its intracellular parasitic members lack peptidoglycan and are consequently gram variable.