Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum “Actinobacteria”, Class Actinobacteria, Order Bifidobacteriales, Family Bifidobacteriaceae, Genus Bifidobacterium,
Bifidobacterium gallicum Lauer 1990.
Gram-positive short rods with rounded ends, 0.7-0.9 x 1.5-3.0 µm long, occurring in
pairs or in short chains; irregular elongations and swellings occur in cells from
colonies. Non-motile. Non-spore-forming.
Colonies are round, entire, opaque, whitish, soft. A weak odor of acetic acid is
produced in fresh cultures slimy, capsule-like material is excreted in complex media.
Optimum growth temperature is 37-39 ºC; variable growth at 30 and 45 ºC. Optimum
pH range is 6.0-7.0; can grow at pH 5.0 and 8.0. Strictly anaerobic.
Isolated from human feces.
Undetermined.
- Biavati B, Mattarelli P, 2012. Genus I. Bifidobacterium Orla-Jensen 1924. In: Parte et al. (ed). Bergey’s manual of systematic
bacteriology: The Actinobacteria, Part A and B. Springer, New York, 171-206.
- Lauer E, 1990. Bifidobacterium catenulatum, Bifidobacterium dentium, and Bifidobacterium gallicum sp.nov. isolated from human
feces. Int J Syst Bacteriology 40(1), 100-102.
- Modesto M, Satti M, Watanabe K, Huang CH, Liou JS, Tamura T, Saito S, Mori K, Huang L, Sandri C, Spiezio C, Sgorbati B, Scarafile
D, Camma C, Ancora M, Patavino C , Arita M and Mattarelli P, 2020. Bifidobacteria in two-toed sloths (Chloepus didactylus):
phylogenetic characterization of the novel taxon Bifidobacterium choloepi. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 70, 6115-6125.
Positive results for alanine arylamidase (weak), alkaline phosphatase, arginine arylamidase, beta-galactosidase (weak), alpha- and
beta-glucosidase, glycine arylamidase (weak), leucine arylamidase, proline arylamidase, phenylalanine arylamidase, serine
arylamidase (weak), tyrosine arylamidase, acid production from amylopectin, amylose, L-arabinose, amygdalin, arbutin, dextrin,
aesculin, gentibiose (weak), D-galactose, D-glucose, D-glucosamine, 2-ketogluconate (weak), methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside
(weak), D-ribose, salicin (weakly), starch and L-xylose.
Negative results for arginine hydrolysis, alpha-arabinosidase, catalase, alpha-fucosidase, alpha-galactosidase, gelatin liquefaction,
beta-glucuronidase, histidine arylamidase, H2S production, indole production, nitrate reduction, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, acid
production from D-arabinose, D- and L-arabitol, D-adonitol, cellobiose, dextran, dulcitol, erythritol, D- and L-fucose, D-galactosamine,
gluconate, D-glucuronate, glycerol, inositol, inulin, 5-ketogluconate, D-lactose, D-lyxose, D-mannitol, melezitose,
methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside, methyl-beta-D-xylopyranoside, N-acetylglucosamine, pectin, porcine gastric mucin, rhamnose,
L-sorbose, D-sorbitol, D-tagatose, trehalose, turanose, xylitol and xylan.
Variable results for acid production from D-fructose, glycogen, maltose, D-mannose (weak), melibiose (weak), raffinose, sucrose and
D-xylose.
(c) Costin Stoica