Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works in the field of prokaryotic systematics is undergoing an extensive revision that will ultimately culminate in a five volume Second Edition. Arrangement of the content of the Second Edition follows the now familiar and well regarded phylogeny of the 16S rRNA gene, yet retains much of the layout of the First Edition. Volume 2 "The Proteobacteria." (2004) Don J. Brenner, Noel R. Krieg, James T. Staley (Volume Editors), and George M. Garrity (Editor-in-Chief) with contributions from 339 colleagues. The volume provides descriptions of more than 2000 species in 538 genera that are assigned to the phylum Proteobacteria. This volume is subdivided into three parts. Part A, The Introductory Essays (332 pgs, 76 figures, 37 tables); Part B, The Gammaproteobacteria (1203 pages, 222 figures, and 300 tables); and Part C The Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria (1256 pages, 512 figures, and 371 tables).

The volume on the Proteobacteria culminates a four year effort by Bergey's Manual Trust and more than 150 internationally recognized authorities to provide a comprehensive view of the Proteobacteria, the largest prokaryotic phylum. At present, there are roughly 6250 named species of Bacteria, and the Proteobacteria represent the single largest phylum. It encompasses 72 families and includes descriptions of 425 genera and over 1875 named species. The Proteobacteria also represent the most metabolically and ecologically diverse group of bacteria and contains many of the clinically relevant species that are of significance in human, animal and plant health. As a result, this volume caters to the broadest audience, and the set is an essential reference for the microbiologist. The volume is subdivided into three sub-volumes: Introductory chapters (Part A), The Gammaproteobacteria (Part B), and the Alpha-, Beta-, Delta-, and Epsilonproteobacteria. (Part C). Most importantly, medically important species appear in both the B and C sub-volumes.