Gracilicutes

Taxobox
color = lightgrey
name = Gracilicutes

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image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Escherichia coli" cells magnified 25,000 times
domain = Bacteria
unranked_phylum = Gracilicutes
subdivision_ranks = Kingdoms/Phyla
subdivision =
Proteobacteria
Planctobacteria
Sphingobacteria
Spirochaetae

Gracilicutes (Latin: "gracilis", slender, and "cutis", skin, referring to the cell wall) is a taxon created by Cavalier-Smith, which he believes to be a clade comprising the Proteobacteria, the Planctobacteria (comprising Chlamydiae and Planctomycetes), the Sphingobacteria (comprising the green sulfur bacteria and Bacteroidetes), and Spirochaetae. It is a Gram-negative clade that branched off from other bacteria just before the evolutionary loss of the outer membrane or capsule, and just after the evolution of flagella.