470 



ORDER IV. EUBACTERIALES 



noun methanum methane; M.L. adj . methani- 

 cus pertaining to methane. 



Description taken from Weinberg at al. 

 (loc. cii.) and from Smit {op. cit., 1930, 25). 



Spheres, 2.0 to 2.5 microns in diameter, 

 occurring in packets of 8 or more cocci. 

 Non-motile. Gram-variable. 



Growth in solutions of calcium acetate 

 and possibly of butyrate and inorganic am- 

 monium salts. Carbon dioxide is needed for 

 methane production. 



In acetate-agar (with addition of some 

 HoS and NaHCOs) : Colonies of 50 to 100 

 microns are formed, showing gas produc- 

 tion. 



Cultural characters as yet unknown. 



Carbohydrates and ethanol not fer- 

 mented. 



Cellulose reaction negative. 



Principal products from the metabolism 

 of calcium acetate and butyrate are meth- 

 ane, carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate. 



Peptones not attacked. 



Utilizes ammonium salts as source of 

 nitrogen. No organic nitrogen compounds 

 utilized. 



Strict anaerobe. Killed by a short contact 

 with the air. 



Optimum temperature, between 35° and 

 37° C. 



Non-pathogenic. 



Distinctive characters: Utilizes am- 

 monium salts and acyclic acids producing 

 methane and carbonic acid. 



Source: Isolated from sediment in meth- 

 ane fermentation (Weinberg et al.). Iso- 

 lated from mud (Smit). 



Habitat: Swamp waters and mud; fer- 

 menting sewage sludge. 



4. Sarcina barkeri Schnellen, 1947. 

 (Sarcina harkerii (sic) Schnellen, Inaug. 

 Diss., Delft, 1947, 63; also see Kluyver and 

 Schnellen, Arch, of Biochem., IJ,., 1947, 57.) 



bar'ke.ri. M.L. gen. noun barkeri of 

 Barker; named for H. A. Barker, who has 

 made studies of organisms of this type. 



Spheres, 1.5 to 2.0 microns in diameter, 

 occurring mostlj' in packets of 8 or less. 

 Non-motile. Gram-positive. 



Growth occurs in solutions of methanol 

 and inorganic ammonium salts. 



Methanol agar (with inorganic salts and 

 some NaaS) colonies: 0.5 to 1.0 mm in di- 

 ameter, whitish. 



Carbohydrates not fermented. 



Cellulose-negative . 



Methane is produced from carbonic acid 

 and bicarbonates. Sodium acetate is more 

 slowly attacked with the production of car- 

 bon dioxide, part of which is reduced to 

 methane. Other alcohols and salts are not 

 utilized. 



Nitrites not produced from nitrates. 



Peptones and other sources of organic 

 nitrogen are not utilized. 



Catalase-negati ve . 



Optimum temperature, 30° C. 



Optimum pH, 7.0. 



Non-pathogenic. 



Distinctive characters: Methanol is uti- 

 lized with the production of methane, car- 

 bon dioxide and water. From mixtures of 

 carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide and 

 hydrogen, methane is produced. Pure car- 

 bon monoxide is utilized with the produc- 

 tion of carbon dioxide and methane. 



Source: Isolated from mud. 



Habitat: Found in mud and sewage 

 sludge. 



5. Sarcina lutea Schroeter, 1886. (In 

 Cohn, Kryptogamen-Flora v. Schlesien, 3, 

 1, 1886, 154.) 



lu'te.a. L. adj. luteus yellow. 



Spheres, 1.0 to 1.5 microns in diameter, 

 occurring in packets in all media. Gram- 

 positive. 



Gelatin colonies: Circular, up to 5 mm in 

 diameter, sulfur-yellow, sinking into the 

 medium. 



Gelatin stab: Slow, infundibuliform li- 

 quefaction. 



Agar colonies: Yellow, coarsely granular, 

 circular, raised, moist, glistening, entire. 



Agar slant: Sulfur- to chrome-yellow, 

 smooth, soft growth. 



Broth: Clear with abundant, j'ellow sedi- 

 ment. 



Litmus milk: Coagulated, becoming alka- 

 line. 



Potato: Sulfur- to chrome-yellow, raised, 

 sometimes limited growth. 



Slight indole production. 



