| Proteus mirabilis |
| Gram-staining |
| Proteus mirabilis swarming and Dienes effect |
Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum Proteobacteria, Class Gammaproteobacteria, Order Enterobacterales, Family Morganellaceae, Genus Proteus, Proteus
mirabilis Hauser 1885.
mirabilis Hauser 1885.
Gram-negative, straight rods, 0.4-0.6 x 1.0-3.0 μm.
Facultatively anaerobic, growth temperature 37 ºC. Highly motile by peritrichous
flagella, resulting a thin film of bacteria on the agar surface (swarming).
S-type, non-pigmented colonies on swarming inhibitory media. Majority are are
hemolytic on blood agar.
Isolation and growth media:
Nutrient agar or nutrient broth, Mueller-Hinton agar, Trypticase Soy Agar ± 5% sheep
blood: swarming, transparent, non-hemolytic colonies (with few exceptions);
Mac Conkey agar: white-transparent colonies (lactose negative) - swarming inhibited;
Rambach agar: white-transparent colonies (lactose negative) - swarming inhibited.
The Dienes test can be used to determine whether two or more isolates of P. mirabilis are the same
or different. The test is based on the mutual inhibition of two different strains as they swarm towards
one another on solid medium surface. If the two strains are genetically distinct, a clear line of
demarcation will form as the swarming edge of one strain meets the other. If the two strains are
related or identical, there is no mutual inhibition and the swarming edges merge with no visible
line of demarcation.
flagella, resulting a thin film of bacteria on the agar surface (swarming).
S-type, non-pigmented colonies on swarming inhibitory media. Majority are are
hemolytic on blood agar.
Isolation and growth media:
Nutrient agar or nutrient broth, Mueller-Hinton agar, Trypticase Soy Agar ± 5% sheep
blood: swarming, transparent, non-hemolytic colonies (with few exceptions);
Mac Conkey agar: white-transparent colonies (lactose negative) - swarming inhibited;
Rambach agar: white-transparent colonies (lactose negative) - swarming inhibited.
The Dienes test can be used to determine whether two or more isolates of P. mirabilis are the same
or different. The test is based on the mutual inhibition of two different strains as they swarm towards
one another on solid medium surface. If the two strains are genetically distinct, a clear line of
demarcation will form as the swarming edge of one strain meets the other. If the two strains are
related or identical, there is no mutual inhibition and the swarming edges merge with no visible
line of demarcation.
Isolated from urine, faeces (human and animals sources), soil and sewage.
Commonly found in the intestinal tract as part of normal flora.
Most strains are resistant to olymyxins, tetracycline, and nitrofurantoin.
Commonly found in the intestinal tract as part of normal flora.
Most strains are resistant to olymyxins, tetracycline, and nitrofurantoin.
Urinary tract infections, wounds and burns infections. Proteus mirabilis causes 90%
of infections (mostly nosocomial).
Urease production (increases the risk of pyelonephritis), together with the presence
of fimbriae and bacterial motility may favor the production of upper urinary tract
infections.
of infections (mostly nosocomial).
Urease production (increases the risk of pyelonephritis), together with the presence
of fimbriae and bacterial motility may favor the production of upper urinary tract
infections.
- J. G. Holt et al., 1994. Facultatively Anaerobic Gram-Negative Rods. Subgroup 1. Family Enterobacteriaceae. In: Begey’s Manual of
Determinative Bacteriology, 9th-edition, Williams & Wilkins, pp 175-189. - O'Hara CM, Brenner FW, Steigerwalt AG, Hill BC, Holmes B, Grimont PA, Hawkey PM, Penner JL, Miller JM, Brenner DJ.
Classification of Proteus vulgaris biogroup 3 with recognition of Proteus hauseri sp. nov., nom. rev. and unnamed Proteus
genomospecies 4, 5 and 6. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2000; 50:1869-1875. - Winslow C.E.A., Kligler I.J. & Rothberg W.: Studies on the classification of the colon-typhoid group of bacteria with special
reference to their fermentative reactions. Journal of Bacteriology, 1919, 4, 429-503. - Cosenza B.J. & Podgwaite J.D.: A new species of Proteus isolated from larvae of the gypsy moth Porthetria dispar (L.). Antonie van
Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology and Serology, 1966, 32, 187-191. - Hickman F.W., Steigerwalt A.G., Farmer III J.J. & Brenner D.J.: Identification of Proteus penneri sp. nov., formerly known as Proteus
vulgaris indole negative or as Proteus vulgaris biogroup 1. J. Clin. Microbiol., 1982, 15, 1097-1102. - Amano K.I., Williams J.C., Dasch G.A.: Structural properties of lipopolysaccharides from Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia prowazekii
and their chemical similarity to the lipopolysaccharide from Proteus vulgaris OX 19 used in the Weil-Felix test. Infect Immun. 1998
Mar;66(3):923-926. - Don J. Brenner & J.J. Farmer III, 2004, Family I. Enterobacteriaceae, In: Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Second
edition, Vol two, part B, George M. Garrity (Editor-in-Chief), pp. 740-744. - Euzeby J.P., List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature - Genus Cosenzaea, https://www.bacterio.cict.
fr/c/cosenzaea.html. - Adeolu M, Alnajar S, Naushad S, S Gupta R. Genome-based phylogeny and taxonomy of the 'Enterobacteriales': proposal for
Enterobacterales ord. nov. divided into the families Enterobacteriaceae, Erwiniaceae fam. nov., Pectobacteriaceae fam. nov.,
Yersiniaceae fam. nov., Hafniaceae fam. nov., Morganellaceae fam. nov., and Budviciaceae fam. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol
2016; 66:5575-5599.
Positive results for phenylalanine deaminase, urease, nitrates reduction, catalase,
methyl red and acid production from glucose (usually with gas). Generally produce
acid from glycerol.
Negative results for oxidase, ONPG, malonate utilization, arginine dihydrolase, lysine
decarboxylase, acid production from: adonitol, L-arabinose, D-arabitol, cellobiose,
dulcitol, erythritol, inositol, lactose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, raffinose, L-rhamnose
and D-sorbitol.
Variable results for DN-ase and lipase (corn oil).
methyl red and acid production from glucose (usually with gas). Generally produce
acid from glycerol.
Negative results for oxidase, ONPG, malonate utilization, arginine dihydrolase, lysine
decarboxylase, acid production from: adonitol, L-arabinose, D-arabitol, cellobiose,
dulcitol, erythritol, inositol, lactose, D-mannitol, D-mannose, raffinose, L-rhamnose
and D-sorbitol.
Variable results for DN-ase and lipase (corn oil).
(c) Costin Stoica
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Legend: + positive 90-100%, - negative 90-100%, [+] positive 75-89%, [-] negative 75-89%, d positive 25-74% of strains, AMDG: Alpha-Methyl-D-Glucoside
Differential characters of Proteus species:
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