Prokaryotic microorganisms called actinomyces are found in large quantities in the natural world. Actinomycetes are filamentous, non-acid-fast bacteria with long, thin hyphae that are typically 0.5–0.8 μm in diameter and lack branches and separation. Actinomycetes are challenging to grow in a lab setting because they reproduce by fission. Actinomyces clothesii, Actinomyces bovis, Actinomyces naesi, Actinomyces mucus, and Actinomyces dental caries are the most prevalent of the 35 species known to exist in the genus Actinomyces. Actinomycetota phylogenetic analysis has been conducted using glutamine synthetase sequencing analysis.
The majority of actinomycetes are found in the genitourinary tract, upper respiratory tract, digestive tract, and oral cavity of both humans and animals as part of the normal flora. With Actinomyces clothenii being the primary pathogen and Actinomyces bovis causing disease in cattle and pigs, actinomycetes can occasionally result in endogenous infections. Because they aid in the breakdown of living things and the reabsorption of plants, actinomycetes in the soil are crucial to human economic well-being. Actinomycetes are capable of producing a wide range of significant antibiotics used in biomedicine, such as tetracyclines, lactams, aminoglycosides, and macrolides. Furthermore, a range of antibacterial, antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, antineoplastic, and enzyme inhibitor medications can be made from actinomycetes.
More details: Introduction of Actinomycete
