Difference Between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens
Table of Contents
The key difference between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens is that the P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen while the P. fluorescens is not a human pathogen. More explicitly saying, P. aeruginosa is a pathogen of plants and animals including human whereas P. fluorescence is a plant growth promoting bacterial species. Another important difference between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens is that the P. aeruginosa has the ability to grow even at 42°C.
Pseudomonas is a bacterial genus that comprises gram-negative, rod-shaped and polar flagellated bacteria. They are aerobic bacteria that are non-spore forming, catalase positive and oxidase positive. Furthermore, this genus has many species including P. aeruginosa, P. fluorescens, P. putida, P. syringae, etc.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa
3. What is Pseudomonas fluorescens
4. Similarities Between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens
5. Side by Side Comparison – Pseudomonas aeruginosa vs Pseudomonas fluorescens in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Pseudomonas Aeruginosa?
P. aeruginosa is a bacterial species of genus Pseudomonas. It is a gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that has a polar flagellum. This bacterium is present in the soil, water, skin, and most of the human-made environments. As recognized, P. aeruginosa is a disease-causing pathogen of plants and animals. Furthermore, it serves as an opportunistic human pathogen that has the property of multidrug resistance. Since P. aeruginosa has antibiotic resistance ability; it is responsible for serious illnesses of hospital-acquired infections such as ventilator-associated pneumonia and various sepsis syndromes.
Figure 01: P. aeruginosa
It is difficult to cure diseases caused by P. aeruginosa because this pathogen is resistant to most of the antibiotics. However, compared to other pathogenic bacteria strains, P. aeruginosa is not an extremely virulent pathogen. It also has the ability to form biofilms as it is capable of colonizing extensively on surfaces.
What is Pseudomonas Fluorescens?
P. flourescens is another bacterial species of the genus Pseudomonas. It is not a pathogen, but a plant growth promoting bacterium found mostly in the soil. Therefore, it hardly causes diseases to human.
Figure 02: P. fluorescens
P. fluorescens exists in a wide range of habitats including soil, rhizospheres, and surfaces of plants, nonsterile pharmaceuticals, showerheads, and even indoor wall surfaces. As recognized, it is an environmentally important bacterium since it is capable of promoting plant health via secreting antimicrobials, secondary metabolites, sidarophores, etc.
What are the Similarities Between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens?
- P. flaeruginosa and P. fluorescens are gram-negative bacteria.
- They both are non-spore forming bacteria.
- Also, both are aerobic bacteria.
- Furthermore, they both are rod-shaped bacteria.
- Flagella is in both.
- Both are flagellated and motile.
What is the Difference Between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescens?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa vs Pseudomonas fluroescens | |
| P. aeruginosa is a bacterial species of the genus Pseudomonas, and it is a plant and animal pathogen. | P. fluorescens is a bacterial species of the genus Pseudomonas, and it is a plant growth promoting bacterium. |
| Disease-Causing Ability | |
| Well established as a pathogen | Not characterized as a pathogen that causes significant diseases |
| Flagella | |
| Has a flagellum | Has multiple flagella |
| Growth | |
| The growth is enhanced at 25°C to 37°C but it can grow at 42°C as well, which is a factor that distinguishes it from other Pseudomonas | The optimal temperature for growth is 25-30°C. However, the biofilm forms at 37°C |
| Virulency | |
| A virulent species | Not a virulent species |
| Oxygen Requirement | |
| Aerobic but sometimes becomes facultative anaerobic | Obligate aerobe |
| Production of Secondary Metabolites | |
| Does not produce secondary metabolites that are important for plant growth promotion | Produces secondary metabolites that are anti-phytopathogenic and biocontrol agents |
| Rapid Nitrate Test | |
| Shows positive for rapid nitrate test | Shows negative for the rapid nitrate test |
| Sensitivity to Low Levels of Kanamycin and Resistant to Carbenicillin | |
| Low sensitive to low levels of kanamycin and susceptible to carbenicillin | Very sensitive to low levels of kanamycin and resistant to carbenicillin |
Summary – Pseudomonas aeruginosa vs Pseudomonas fluorescens
P. aeruginosa and P. fluorescens are two bacterial species of the genus Pseudomonas. P. aeruginosa is a pathogen causing disease in plants and animals including human. P. fluorescens is a non-pathogenic species, and it can promote plant growth and also has biocontrolling properties. This is the difference between P. aeruginosa and P. fluorescens. Further, P. aeruginosa has one polar flagellum while P. fluorescens is multiflagellated.
Reference:
1.“Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Apr. 2018. Available here
2.Blazevic, Donna J., et al. Applied Microbiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Jan. 1973. Available here
Image Courtesy:
1.’Pseudomonas aeruginosa gram’By CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Image Library (PHIL) (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2.’Pseudomonas fluorescens’By Riraq25 – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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