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DermatophilusRANK: GenusTAXONOMY: Bacteria -> Terrabacteria group -> Actinobacteria -> Actinobacteria -> Micrococcales -> Dermatophilaceae -> Dermatophilus OVERVIEW: Aerial mycelium develops in atmospheres containing added CO2. Substrate mycelium consists of long tapering filaments, branching laterally at right angles; septa formed in transverse and in horizontal and vertical longitudinal planes giving rise to up to eight parallel rows of coccoid cells (spores), each of which becomes motile by a tuft of flagella. Gram-stain-positive. Not acid-fast. Catalase-positive. Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic. Nonfermentative, but acid is produced from certain carbohydrates. Growth reported only on complex media; minimum nutritional requirements unknown. Temperature optimum ∼37°C. Chondroitinase activity against chondroitin 4-sulfate positive. No hyaluronidase or elastase activity. As determined for the type species, peptidoglycan contains meso-diaminopimelic acid (meso-A2pm); madurose is present in whole-cell hydrolysates; polar lipids include phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositol; major fatty acids are straight chain unsaturated C 16:0 , C 15:0 , and C 14:0 . Chemoorganotrophic. Parasitic on mammals, especially domestic herbivores. Pathology is usually limited to exudative dermatitis which may, however, be severe and life-threatening; on rare occasions causes subcutaneous abscesses and lymph node granulomas. Also found in skin lesions and abscesses in chelonids. DNA G+C content (mol%): 57–59 (T m). Type species: Dermatophilus congolensis |