FAMILY MICROCOCCACEAE 



247 



Distinctive characters: Large size; 

 unpleasant odor; production of indole; 

 production of gas. 



Source: Isolated from the large in- 

 testine of a man with intestinal in- 

 toxication. 



Habitat: Intestine. Not common. 



Note: Weinberg, Nativclle and Prevot 

 (Les Microbes Anaerobies, 1937, 1023) 

 regard Micrococcus indolicus Christian- 

 sen (Ac. Pat. Micr. Scand., 18, 1934, 42) 

 as a variety of this species giving it the 

 name Staphylococcus asaccharolyticus 

 var. indolicus. This variety differs 

 from the species by forming opaque 

 lens-shaped colonies and by a more 

 abundant production of gas from 

 peptone. 



20. Micrococcus niger Hall. (Jour. 

 Bact., ^0, 1930, 409.) From Latin, niger, 

 black. 



Small spheres: 0.6 micron in diameter, 

 occurring in irregular masses, occasionallj- 

 in pairs. Gram-positive. 



Gelatin: After 5 days a dark sediment 

 is produced which gradually gets more; 

 and more intensely black. No lique- 

 faction. 



Deep agar colonies: Slow growth. At 

 first very tiny, colorless, irregularly 

 globular, smooth, dense. Small bubbles 

 of gas sometimes produced. After sev- 

 eral days colonies become brown, then 

 black. If exposed to air, colonies fade 

 to a dull gray. Medium not discolored. 



Blood agar slant: After 4 or 5 days, 

 minute, black colonies, round, smooth, 

 glistening, 0.5 mm. in diameter. Non- 

 hemolytic. 



Broth : After 4 or 5 days uniform tur- 

 bidity and slight production of gas which 

 contains H2S. Black sediment. 



Coagulated serum: Minute, brown 

 colonies appear on the 8th day. No 

 liquefaction. 



Milk: No change. 



Brain medium : Turbid after 4 or 5 days 

 at 37°C. Uniform gas production about 

 the Gth day. Discoloration of tiie me- 

 dium not marked. 



No acid from carbohydrates. Black 

 sediment produced. 



Non-pathogenic for guinea-i)igs and 

 rabbits. 



Optimum temperature 37°C. No 

 growth below 30°C. 



Strict anaerobe. 



Distinctive characters : Formation of a 

 water-insoluble, black pigment. Growth 

 slow, visible after 2 to 4 days. 



Source: Isolated from urine of an aged 

 woman. 



Habitat: Unknown. 



21. Micrococcus grigorofii Prevot. 

 (Micrococcus A, Grigoroif, These de 

 Geneve, 1905; Prevot, Ann. Sci. Nat., 

 Ser. Bot. et Zool., IS, 1933, 219.) Named 

 for Grigoroff, who first isolated this 

 organism. 



Small spheres : Average size 0.7 micron, 

 occurring singly or in irregular masses. 

 Gram-positive. 



Gelatin : Colonies appear in four days. 

 No liquefaction. 



Deep agar colonies: After three days, 

 round, lenticular, yellowish. 



Glucose broth : Turbid after 2 days 

 with whitish sediment. Neither gas 

 nor fetid odor produced. The medium 

 is acidified. 



Milk: Good growth. Acid. Coagu- 

 lation. 



Acid from glucose, maltose, lactose, 

 fructose and sorbitol. 



One strain slightly pathogenic. 



Optimum temperatvu'e 37°C. 



Strict anaerobe. 



Distinctive characters : This is the 

 only anaerobic coccus growing in irregular 

 masses that coagulates milk. Lactose is 

 fermented. 



Source: Five strains isolated from the 

 appendix by Grigoroff. One strain iso- 

 lated from an appendix by Prevot. 



Habitat : Human digestive tract. Not 

 common. 



22. Micrococcus anaerobius (Hamm) 

 comb. 710V. ("Anaerobic staphylococcus, 

 Jungano, Compt. rend. Soc. Biol. Paris, 

 59, 1907, 707; Sta'phylococcus anaerobius 



