Stackebrandt et al., 1988
In a Gram stain test, a counterstain (commonly safranin) is added after the crystal violet, colouring all Gram-negative bacteria with a pink colour.
The test itself is useful in classifying two distinct types of bacteria based on the structural differences of their cell walls.
Others are free-living, and include many of the bacteria responsible for nitrogen fixation. The group is defined primarily in terms of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences.
References[change | change source]
- It is named after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his shape, because of the great diversity of forms found in this group.
- Salton MJR, Kim KS (1996). Structure. in: Baron's Medical Microbiology (Baron S et al., eds.) (4th ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.289.
- "Proteobacteria". Discover Life: Tree of Life. http://stri.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?tree=Proteobacteria&res=800. Retrieved 2007-02-09.