What is "betaproteobacteria"

Betaproteobacteria are a class of Proteobacteria. Betaproteobacteria are, like all Proteobacteria, Gram-negative.

The Betaproteobacteria consist of several groups of aerobic or facultative bacteria that are often highly versatile in their degradation capacities, but also contain chemolithotrophic genera (e.g., the ammonia-oxidising genus Nitrosomonas) and some phototrophs (members of the genera Rhodocyclus and Rubrivivax). Betaproteobacteria play a role in nitrogen fixation in various types of plants, oxidizing ammonium to produce nitrite – an important chemical for plant function. Many of them are found in environmental samples, such as waste water or soil. Pathogenic species within this class are the Neisseriaceae ( gonorrhea and meningitis) and species of the genus Burkholderia.