Actinobacteria

Abstract

The actinobacteria encompass a well-defined clade of high GC bacteria, the members of which have a wide range of niches. Representatives of the group can be found in a diversity of habitats, which include soil, rhizosphere, and marine and freshwater systems. Several are important human and animal pathogens with a limited number being pathogenic to plants. The vast majority of Actinobacteria are important saprophytes capable of breaking down a wide range of plant and animal debris in the process of decomposition. Some genera such as Streptomyces and Micromonospora are renowned for their prolific production of a diverse range of bioactive metabolites, including antibiotics, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, signalling molecules, and immunomodulators