streptomycete
/ˌstrɛptə(ʊ)ˈmʌɪsiːt
/noun (plural streptomycetes /ˌstrɛptə(ʊ)ˈmʌɪsiːts/ /ˌstrɛptə(ʊ)mʌɪˈsiːtiːz/)
A bacterium which occurs chiefly in soil as aerobic saprophytes resembling moulds, several of which are important sources of antibiotics.
- Streptomyces and related genera, order Actinomycetales; Gram-positive filaments forming chains of spores.
- The number of genes encoding Nudix hydrolases varies widely, from zero in most Mycoplasma species to around 30 in streptomycetes.
- This applies not only for molecules with an antibiotic activity like in the case of streptomycetes but also for compounds that may play a role in cell processes like signaling and communication.
Origin
1950s: anglicized singular of modern Latin Streptomyces, from strepto- 'twisted' + Greek mukēs, mukēt- 'fungus'.