Mycobacterium asiaticum

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

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

Description

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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

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  • Rarely causes human pulmonary disease.

Type strain

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

References

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  • SKERMAN (V.B.D.), McGOWAN (V.) and SNEATH (P.H.A.) (editors): Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1980, 30, 225–420. [WEISZFEILER (J.), KARASSEVA (G.V.) and KARCZAG (E.): A new Mycobacterium species: Mycobacterium asiaticum n. sp. Acta Microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 1971, 18, 247–252. PMID 5006093
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