Pseudomonas stutzeri

Pseudomonas stutzeri is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, single polar-flagellated, soil bacterium first isolated from human spinal fluid. It is a denitrifying bacterium, and strain KC of P. stutzeri may be used for bioremediation as it is able to degrade carbon tetrachloride. It is also an opportunistic pathogen in clinical settings, although infections are rare. Based on 16S rRNA analysis, P. stutzeri has been placed in the P. stutzeri group, to which it lends its name. Several different strains of P. stutzeri have been found to be competent for genetic transformation. Natural genetic transformation is a sexual process involving DNA transfer from one bacterial cell to another through the intervening medium, and the integration of the donor sequence into the recipient genome by homologous recombination. Transformation can occur with high frequency between individuals of the same P. stutzeri strain, but is greatly reduced between individuals of different strains, or between P. stutzeri and individuals of other pseudomonas species. The complete genome sequence of the highly transformable P. stuzeri strain 28a24 has been determined. P. stutzeri lends its name to a subgroup within the genus Pseudomonas. The other members of the P. stutzeri subgroup are P. balearica and P. luteola.