Gram-negative bacterial infection

Gram-negative bacterial infection
Gram-negative cell wall

A gram-negative bacterial infection is a disease caused by gram-negative bacteria such as E. coli.^[1]

This class is defined morphologically (by the presence of a bacterial outer membrane), and not histologically (by a pink appearance when stained), though the two usually coincide.

One reason for this division is that the outer membrane is of major clinical significance: it can play a role in the reduced effectiveness of certain antibiotics,^[2] and it is the source of endotoxin.^[3]

The gram status of some organisms is complex or disputed:

• Mycoplasma are sometimes considered gram-negative,^[4][5] but because of its lack of a cell wall and unusual membrane composition, it is sometimes considered separately from other gram-negative bacteria.^[6]
• Gardnerella is often considered gram-negative,^[7] but it is classified in MeSH as both gram-positive and gram-negative.^[8] It has some traits of gram-positive bacteria,^[9] but has a gram-negative appearance.^[10] It has been described as a "gram-variable rod".^[11][12]

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