Mycobacterium asiaticum

Mycobacterium asiaticum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Kingdom: Bacillati
Phylum: Actinomycetota
Class: Actinomycetes
Order: Mycobacteriales
Family: Mycobacteriaceae
Genus: Mycobacterium
Species:
M. asiaticum
Binomial name
Mycobacterium asiaticum
Weiszfeiler et al. 1971, ATCC 25276

Mycobacterium asiaticum is a slowly growing photochromogenic mycobacterium first isolated from monkeys in 1965. M. asiaticum can, but rarely, causes human pulmonary disease.

Description

Microscopy

  • Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast, coccoid rods.

Colony characteristics

  • Dysgonic and yellow photochromogenic (pigment not produced in the dark) colonies.

Physiology

Differential characteristics

  • Unique 16S rRNA sequence.
  • Biochemically M. asiaticum (photochromogenic) and Mycobacterium gordonae (scotochromogenic) can only be differentiated by the mode of pigmentation.

Pathogenesis

  • Rarely causes human pulmonary disease.

Type strain

  • First isolated from monkeys in 1965.
  • Strain ATCC 25276 = CCUG 29115 = CIP 106809 = DSM 44297 = JCM 6409.

References

    • Skerman, V.B.D.; McGOWAN, V.; Sneath, P.H.A. (1980). "Approved Lists of Bacterial Names". Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 30: 225–420.
    • Weiszfeiler, J.; Karasseva, G.V.; Karczag, E. (1971). "A new Mycobacterium species: Mycobacterium asiaticum n. sp". Acta Microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 18: 247–252. PMID 5006093.