Bdellovibrio
| Bdellovibrio | |
|---|---|
| Central slice through a cryotomogram of an intact Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus cell. Scale bar 200 nm | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Bdellovibrionota |
| Class: | Bdellovibrionia |
| Order: | Bdellovibrionales |
| Family: | Bdellovibrionaceae |
| Genus: | Bdellovibrio Stolp & Starr 1963 |
| Type species | |
| Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus Stolp & Starr 1963 | |
| Species | |
| |
Bdellovibrio is a genus of gram-negative, obligate aerobic bacteria. One of the more notable characteristics of this genus is that members can prey upon other gram-negative bacteria and feed on the biopolymers, e.g. proteins and nucleic acids, of their hosts. They have two lifestyles: a host-dependent, highly mobile phase, the "attack phase", in which they form "bdelloplasts" in their host bacteria; and a slow-growing, irregularly shaped, host-independent form.