Bacillus weihenstephanensis
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Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum Firmicutes, Class Bacilli, Order Bacillales, Family Bacillaceae, Genus Bacillus, Bacillus weihenstephanensis Lechner, Mayr,
Francis, Prus, Kaplan, Wiessner-Gunkel, Stewart and Scherer 1998.
Phenotypically very closed to other members of the Bacillus cereus group: Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus mycoides,
Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus pseudomycoides. Genetic evidence supports the recognition of members of the Bacillus cereus
group as one species, but practical considerations (virulence characters) argue against such a move. Bacillus weihenstephanensis
can be separated from Bacillus cereus group by ability to grow at 7 ºC, inability to grow at 43 ºC, and by certain 16S rDNA signature
sequences.
Gram-positive rods; cell diameter > 1.0 µm. Motile. Produce paracentral / subterminal,
ellipsoidal / cylindric endospores in unswollen sporangia. Parasporal crystals are
not produced.
Colonies are not rhizoid. Grows on Plate Count agar and TSB. Facultatively anaerobic.
Grows at 5-40 ºC, at pH 6-7 and in 0-7% NaCl media. Allantoin or urate are not
required.
Isolated from pasteurized milk. Grow in the presence of lysozyme.
Should be grouped within hazard group 2 due to its food poisoning potential.
- N.A. Logan and P. De Vos, 2009. Genus I. Bacillus Cohn 1872. In: (Eds.) P.D. Vos, G. Garrity, D. Jones, N.R. Krieg, W. Ludwig, F.A.
Rainey, K.-H. Schleifer, W.B. Whitman. Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Volume 3: The Firmicutes, Springer, 21-127.
- Lechner, R. Mayr, K.P. Francis, B.M. Prüs, T. Kaplan, E. Wiessner-Gunkel, G.S.A.B. Stewart and S. Scherer, 1998. Bacillus
weihenstephanensis sp. nov. is a new psychrotolerant species of the Bacillus cereus group. IJSB 48, 1373-1382.
Positive results for hydrolysis of gelatin, degradation of tyrosine, egg yolk reaction, catalase, hydrolysis of casein, hydrolysis of starch,
Voges-Proskauer reacton, citrate utilization, acid production from: D-glucose, glycogen and starch.
Negative results for deamination of phenylalanine, acid production from: L-arabinose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, methyl beta-xyloside
and D-xylose.
Variable results for nitrate reduction and acid production from salicin.
(c) Costin Stoica