proteobacterium
/ˌprəʊtɪəʊˌbakˈtɪərɪəm/Microbiology
noun
In form Proteobacteria, treated as plural: a very large group of Gram-negative bacteria, defined on the basis of ribosomal RNA sequencing, which exhibit great diversity in morphology, metabolism, and life style.
- The Proteobacteria include purple bacteria, enteric bacteria such as Escherichia, myxobacteria, intracellular symbionts and pathogens, etc..
Origin
1980s. Originally as plural proteobacteria from scientific Latin Proteobacteria, class name from the name of Proteus + bacteria, plural of bacterium, so called in allusion to the diversity of these bacteria.