- Source: Alistipes
Alistipes is a Gram-negative genus of rod-shaped anaerobic bacteria in the phylum Bacteroidota. When members of this genus colonize the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, they provide protective effects against colitis (intestinal inflammation), and cirrhosis (liver fibrosis) [citations needed]. However, this genus can also cause dysbiosis by contributing to anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, and hypertension. Showcasing priority effects in microbiome assembly, when infant GI tracts have bacteria of the species Staphylococcus but not the species Faecalibacterium, Alistipes species become less capable of colonization. Alistipes, typically benign in the gut, can sometimes trigger infections like intra-abdominal abscesses and bloodstream infections, emphasizing the fine line between symbiosis and disease. This underscores the significance of comprehending their impact on human health within microbial ecosystems.
Etymology
Alistipes is derived from the Neo-Latin noun alistipes, meaning "the other stick", which is further derived from the Latin adjective alius (other) and noun stipes (log/post).
Species
This genus has eleven validly published species, as per the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes (ICNP):
Alistipes communis Sakamoto et al. 2020
Alistipes dispar Sakamoto et al. 2020
Alistipes finegoldii Rautio et al. 2003
Alistipes hominis Liu et al. 2022
Alistipes ihumii Pfleiderer et al. 2017
Alistipes indistinctus Nagai et al. 2010
Alistipes inops Shkoporov et al. 2015
Alistipes onderdonkii Song et al. 2006
Alistipes putredinis (Weinberg et al. 1937) Rautio et al. 2003
Alistipes shahii Song et al. 2006
Alistipes timonensis Lagier et al. 2014
See also
Bacterial taxonomy
Microbiology