1887

Abstract

An acid-fast, slow-growing scotochromogenic mycobacterium was isolated from a medium specific for hydrogen-utilizing chemolithotrophs. The organism grew well in pure culture in simple mineral salts media under an atmosphere of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. No growth occurred in the absence of the gas mixture unless organic substrates were added. Four tested strains of the tap-water scotochromogen, , were also able to grow autotrophically, whereas none of eight tested strains of grew using hydrogen. Twenty-one other mycobacterial strains were negative for autotrophic growth; a strain of grew very slowly. The isolated scotochromogen conformed to the properties of M. scrofulaceum except for its ability to grow at 19 C and its autotrophic ability. This organism exhibited two major colony types. During autotrophic cultivation, a flat, rough colony form was dominant; heterotrophic cultivation caused a population shift to a smooth, domed variety. The two colony forms exhibited qualitatively similar biochemical properties, and the unusual rough-to-smooth transition seemed to correlate with the quantitatively enhanced heterotrophic growth capacities of the smooth strain. Rough-to-smooth variation was reversible, and predominantly smooth inocula gave rise to predominantly rough populations under conditions of chemoautotrophy. The ability to grow autotrophically may be a useful characteristic for distinguishing the saprophytic scotochromogens from the more pathogenic strains.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-24-3-338
1974-07-01
2024-12-12
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/ijsem/24/3/ijs-24-3-338.html?itemId=/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-24-3-338&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. DeCicco B. T., Stukus P.E. 1968; Autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolism of Hydro- genomonas. I. Growth yields and patterns under dual substrate conditions. J. Bacteriol 95:1469–1475
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Dworkin M., Foster J.W. 1958; Experiments with some microorganisms which utilize ethane and hydrogen. J. Bacteriol 75:592–603
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Fregnan G. B., Smith D.W. 1962; Description of various colony forms of mycobacteria. J. Bacteriol 83:819–827
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Halpern B., Kirchheimer W.F. 1954; Studies on the growth of mycobacteria. II. The effect of oxygenation and aeration on growth patterns of mycobacteria. Amer. Rev. Tuberc 70:665–671
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Hirsch P. 1961; Wasserstoffactivierung und Chemoautotrophie bei Actinomyceten. Archiv. Mikrobiol 39:360–373
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Kato L., Ajdukovic D., Donawa A., Ishaque M. 1973; Implication of chemolithotroph- ism in M leprae. Nature N. Biol 242:179–180
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Kubica G. P. 1973; Differential identification of mycobacteria. VII. Key features for identification of clinically significant mycobacteria. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 107:9–21
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Kubica G. P., Dye W.E. 1967; Laboratory methods for clinical and public healthmycobac- teriology. Public Health Service Publication no. 1547. U.S.Government Printing Office; Washington,D.C.:
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Kubica G.P., Jones W.D. Jr 1970; The variation in biochemical reactivity of rough and smooth variants of mycobacteria. Pneumonologie 142:108–111
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Lukins H. B., Foster J.W. 1963; Utilization of hydrocarbons and hydrogen by mycobacteria. Z. Allg. Mikrobiol 3:251–264
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Reznikov M., Leggo J.H. 1972; Modification of Schaefer’s procedure for serotyping of organisms of the Mycobacterium avium-M.intra- cellulare-M. scrofulaceum complex. Appl. Microbiol 23:819–823
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Runyon E. H. 1959; Anonymous mycobactera in pulmonary disease. Med.Clin. N. Amer 43:273–290
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Schaefer W. B. 1965; Serological identification and classification of the atypical mycobacteria by their agglutination. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 92:85–93
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Schaefer W. B. 1968; Incidence of the serotypes of Mycobacterium avium and atypical mycobacteria in human and animal diseases. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 97:18–23
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Singer J., Cysner E. 1952; Urease activity in Mycobacteriaceae.. Amer. Rev. Tuberc 65:779–781
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Wayne L. G. 1962; Differentiation of mycobacteria by their effect on Tween 80. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 86:579–581
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Wayne L. G. 1962; Two varieties of Mycobacterium kansasii with different clinical significance. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 86:651–656
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Wayne L. G. 1966; Classification and identification of mycobacteria.Species within Group III. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 93:919–928
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Wayne L. G. 1970; On the identity oi Mycobacterium gordonae Bojalil and the so-called tap water scotochromogens. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 28:149–153
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Wayne L. G., Dietz T.M., Gernez-Rieux C., Jenkins P.A., Käppler W., Kubica G.P., Kwapinski J.B.G., Meissner G., pattyn S.R., Runyon E.H., Schröder K.H., Silcox V.A., Tacquet A., Tsukamura A., Wolinsky E. 1971; A cooperative numerical analysis of scotochro- mogenic slowly growing mycobacteria. J. Gen. Microbiol 66:255–271
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Wayne L. G., Doubek J.R., Diaz G.A. 1967; Classification and identification of mycobacteria. IV. Some important scotochromogens. Amer. Rev. Resp. Dis 96:88–95
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Wolinsky E. 1963; The role of scotochromogenic mycobacteria in human disease. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci 106:67–71
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Wolinsky E., Schaefer W.B. 1973; Proposed numbering scheme for mycobacterial serotypes by agglutination. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol 23:182–183
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-24-3-338
Loading
/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/00207713-24-3-338
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error