FAMILY IX. BREVIBACTERIACEAE 



493 



Indole not produced. 



Hj^drogen sulfide produced in broth and 

 in agar by some cultures but not by others. 



No acid or gas from arabinose, dextrin, 

 glucose, dulcitol, galactose, inulin, lactose, 

 fructose, maltose, mannitol, rafiinose, rham- 

 nose, salicin, sorbitol, sucrose or xylose. 



Ethyl, propyl, butyl and amyl alcohols 

 oxidized largely to corresponding acids; 

 hexyl and heptyl alcohols attacked much 

 less actively. 



Nitrites produced from nitrates. 



Methyl red test negative. 



Acetjdmethylcarbinol not produced. 



Natural fats not hydrolyzed. 



Catalase rapidly produced in or on various 

 media. 



Aerobic. 



Temperature relations: Optimum, about 

 21° C. Growth at 8° and 37° C. but not at 

 45° C. 



Heat resistance low, cultures being killed 

 at 62.8° C. in a few minutes. 



Growth in the pH range 6.0 to 9.8; no 

 growth at pH 5.0 or below. 



Salt tolerant, cultures growing readily in 

 a concentration of 15 per cent salt in broth 

 or skim milk, with certain cultures appar- 

 ently capable of growing somewhat in much 

 higher concentrations. 



Relationships to other species: Closely re- 

 lated to or identical with Bacterium erythro- 

 genes Lehmann and Neumann. 



Source : Originally isolated by Wolff from 

 the surface flora of various soft cheeses. 



Habitat: Widely distributed in and es- 

 pecially on the surface of dairy products 

 including blue, brick, camembert, lim- 

 burger, oka and cheddar cheeses, butter, 

 milk and cream. Also found in various feeds 

 including grains, silage, green plants, hay 

 and straw, and in water, soil, manure and 

 air. 



2. Brevibacterium erythrogenes (Leh- 

 mann and Neumann, 1896) Breed, 1953. 

 (Bacterium lactis erythrogenes Grotenfelt, 

 Fortschr. d. Med., 7, 1889, 41; Bacterium 

 erythrogenes Lehmann and Neumann, Bakt. 

 Diag., 1 Aufl., 3, 1896, 253; Breed, Riassunti 

 delle Comunicazioni, VI Congresso In- 

 ternaz. di Microbiol., Roma, 1, 1953, 13; 



also see Atti del VI Congresso Internaz. d 

 Microbiol., Roma, /, 1955, 13.) 



e.ryth.ro'ge.nes. Gr. adj. erythrus red; 

 Gr. v. gennaio to produce; M.L. adj. erythro- 

 genes producing a red (color). 



Rods, 0.3 to 0.5 by 1.0 to 1.4 microns, in 

 broth often up to 4.3 microns long, occurring 

 singly and having rounded ends. Non-mo- 

 tile. Stain with the usual aniline dyes. 

 Gram-positive (Lehmann and Neumann, 

 op. cit., 1896, 253). 



Gelatin colonies: Small, circular, graj'ish, 

 becoming yellow, sinking into the medium. 

 Crateriform liquefaction. Yellow sediment. 

 Medium becomes rose-colored. 



Gelatin stab: Surface growth a whitish, 

 later yellow, circular, thin laj'er. Weak 

 growth in stab. Slow liquefaction at the 

 surface, the liquid becoming red with a 

 yellow sediment. The solid portion assumes 

 a weak rose color. 



Agar stab: Moist, fairly luxuriant, yellow 

 growth, the medium assuming a rose to wine 

 color. 



Broth: Turbid, yellow. Pellicle (Fuller 

 and Johnson, Jour. Exp. Med., 4, 1899, 609). 



Litmus milk: Acid. Slow coagulation, hav- 

 ing a clear fluid which becomes blood-red in 

 color. Reaction becomes alkaline. 



Sterile milk: Casein slowly precipitated, 

 later peptonized. Reaction neutral or alka- 

 line. A stratum of blood-red serum is seen 

 above the precipitated casein and above 

 this is a yellowish white layer of cream. 

 Produces an intensive sweet odor that be- 

 comes disagreeable. 



Potato: Growth rapid, spreading, grayish, 

 later yellow. On incubation a deep golden 

 yellow color develops after 6 to 8 days. A 

 darkening of the medium occurs around the 

 culture but soon disappears; later the whole 

 potato becomes a weak j^ellowish red. 



Indole not produced (Fuller and Johnson, 

 loc. cit.). Indole produced (Chester, Manual 

 Determ. Bact., 1901, 174). 



Slight hydrogen sulfide production (Mat- 

 zuschita, Bakt. Diagnostik, 1902, 220). 



Blood serum: Liquefied (Fuller and John- 

 son, op. cit., 1899, 609). Not liquefied (Hef- 

 feran. Cent. f. Bakt., II Abt., //, 1903, 457). 



No gas from carbohydrates. 



Nitrites produced from nitrates. 



Red pigment insoluble in water, alcohol, 



