| Proteus vulgaris |
| Gram-staining |
| Proteus colonies and swarming motility |
Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum Proteobacteria, Class Gammaproteobacteria, Order Enterobacterales, Family Morganellaceae, Genus Proteus, Proteus
vulgaris Hauser 1885 - type species of the genus.
Synonym: Proteus vulgaris biogroup 2 (for biogroups 1 and 3 see Proteus penneri and Proteus hauseri, respectively).
vulgaris Hauser 1885 - type species of the genus.
Synonym: Proteus vulgaris biogroup 2 (for biogroups 1 and 3 see Proteus penneri and Proteus hauseri, respectively).
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 polymyxins, ampicillin, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline.
Commonly found in the intestinal tract as part of normal flora.
Most strains are resistant to polymyxins, ampicillin, nitrofurantoin, and tetracycline.
Urinary tract infections, wounds and burns infections.
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.
Proteus vulgaris OX-19 and OX-2 strains have the same O-polysaccharides as the pathogenic bacteria Rickettsia prowazekii, a
pathogenic bacteria that causes typhus, that is they produce the same immune response as infection by Rickettsia (Weil-Felix test).
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.
Proteus vulgaris OX-19 and OX-2 strains have the same O-polysaccharides as the pathogenic bacteria Rickettsia prowazekii, a
pathogenic bacteria that causes typhus, that is they produce the same immune response as infection by Rickettsia (Weil-Felix test).
- 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 catalase, DN-ase, esculin hydrolysis, phenylalanine deaminase,
urease, nitrates reduction, catalase, methyl red and acid production from glucose
(usually with gas), maltose, sucrose and D-xylose.
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,
salicin, and D-sorbitol.
Variable results for citrate utilization, DN-ase, lipase (corn oil), acid production from
alpha-methyl D-glucoside, glycerol andtrehalose.
urease, nitrates reduction, catalase, methyl red and acid production from glucose
(usually with gas), maltose, sucrose and D-xylose.
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,
salicin, and D-sorbitol.
Variable results for citrate utilization, DN-ase, lipase (corn oil), acid production from
alpha-methyl D-glucoside, glycerol andtrehalose.
(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 some Proteus species:
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