Mycobacterium microti

Mycobacterium microti
Mycobacterium microti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria
Phylum: Actinobacteria
Order: Actinomycetales
Suborder: Corynebacterineae
Family: Mycobacteriaceae
Genus: Mycobacterium
Species: M. microti
Binomial name
Mycobacterium microti
Reed 1957, ATCC 19422

Mycobacterium microti

Contents

Description

Gram-positive, nonmotile and acid-fast rods.

Colony characteristics

  • Variable colony morphology, buff in colour, either rough or smooth.

Physiology

Differential characteristics

  • A commercial hybridisation assay (AccuProbe) to identify members of the M. tuberculosis complex exists.
  • All members of the M. tuberculosis complex share identical 16S rDNA and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) sequences
  • But molecular differentiation is possible by gyrB sequence polymorphism

Pathogenesis

  • Cause of naturally acquired generalized tuberculosis in voles.
  • Recently van Soolingen et al. reported about the first infections among humans caused by M. microti
  • Losing pathogenicity on repeated subculture.
  • Biosafety level 3

Type strain

Strain ATCC 19422 = CIP 104256 = NCTC 8710.

References

  • Reed,G. 1957. Genus Mycobacterium (species affecting warm-blooded animals except those causing leprosy), In: R.S. BREED, E.G.D. MURRAY and N.R. SMITH (eds): Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1957, p. 703-704.
  • van Soolingen et al., 1998. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 1840-1845.