Fertabacteria

Fertabacteria is a candidate bacterial phylum of the Candidate Phyla Radiation, first proposed in 2017 after analysis of a genome from the mouth of a bottlenose dolphin. Members of this phylum are predicted to have been widely under-detected in 16S rRNA gene-based surveys of community composition due to mismatches between commonly used primers and the corresponding primer site. Fertabacteria have been retroactively detected in a variety of environments.

Fertabacteria
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Kingdom:	incertae sedis
Informal group:	Candidate phyla radiation
Phylum:	Fertabacteria Dudek et al. 2017

Description

Fertabacteria is a bacterial phylum candidate status, meaning there are no cultured representatives from this phylum to date. It is a member of the Candidate Phyla Radiation and may be a sister phylum to Peregrinibacteria.^[1]

History

The Fertabacteria phylum was first proposed in 2017 following the recovery and analysis of a genome from the mouth of a bottlenose dolphin.^[1] Members of this phylum are predicted to have been widely under-detected in 16S rRNA gene-based surveys of community composition due to mismatches between commonly used primers and the corresponding primer site,^[1] as has been observed for many other members of the Candidate Phyla Radiation.^[2] The name "Fertabacteria" was proposed in recognition of this characteristic, as "ferta" is Latin for "tricky".

Members of the Fertabacteria have been detected (retroactively) in a variety of environments, including the Caribbean coral Montastrea faveolata (FJ403053.1), the Guerrero Negro hypersaline microbial mat (JN443099.1), and the surface of marine macro-alga Ulva australis (DQ269036).^[1]