 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
ErysipelothrixRANK: GenusTAXONOMY: Bacteria -> Terrabacteria group -> Firmicutes -> Erysipelotrichia -> Erysipelotrichales -> Erysipelotrichaceae -> Erysipelothrix OVERVIEW: Straight, or slightly curved, slender rods with a tendency to form long filaments. Rods usually 0.2–0.4 µm to 0.8–2.5 µm or 0.5 µm in diameter and 1.5–3.0 µm in length with rounded ends; occur singly in short chains, in pairs at an angle to give V-forms, or in groups with no particular arrangement. Filaments may be 60 µm or more in length. Nonmotile. Capsules not formed. Do not form spores. Gram-positive. Not acid-fast. Facultatively anaerobic. Colonies small, usually transparent and nonpigmented. Narrow zones of α-hemolysis may occur on blood agar. No β-hemolysis. Optimum temperature 30–37 °C; growth occurs between 5 and 42 °C. Do not survive heating at 60 °C for 15 min. Catalase-negative. Oxidase-negative. Fermentative activity weak. Acid but no gas produced from glucose and certain other carbohydrates. Organic growth factors are required. Cell wall contains a group B peptidoglycan based on lysine. Mycolic acids not present. The fatty acids are primarily of the straight chain mono-unsaturated (C18:1 cis-9) and straight chain saturated series (C16:0, C18:0). Widely distributed in nature. May be parasitic on mammals, birds and fish; some strains pathogenic for mammals and birds. DNA G+C content (mol%): 36–40 (Tm, Bd). Type species: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae
| |||||||||||||||||||||||