|
Yersinia pestis is the infectious agent of bubonic plague – when lymph nodes are affected (“Black Death”). Pulmonary or septicemic
forms may occur. It is transmitted from rats to humans by the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis.
forms may occur. It is transmitted from rats to humans by the rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis.
| Yersinia pestis |
Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum Proteobacteria, Class Gammaproteobacteria, Order Enterobacterales, Family Yersiniaceae, Genus Yersinia, Yersinia pestis
van Loghem 1944, type species of the genus.
Old synonyms: Bacillus pestis Lehmann and Neumann 1896, Pasteurella pestis (Lehmann and Neumann 1896) Bergey et al. 1923,
Pestisella pestis (Lehmann and Neumann 1896) Dorofeev 1947.
van Loghem 1944, type species of the genus.
Old synonyms: Bacillus pestis Lehmann and Neumann 1896, Pasteurella pestis (Lehmann and Neumann 1896) Bergey et al. 1923,
Pestisella pestis (Lehmann and Neumann 1896) Dorofeev 1947.
Gram-negative, bipolar, 1.0-3.0 x 0.5-0.8 μm rods. Non-motile. Non-spore-forming.
Capsule is not produced but displays a carbohydrate-protein envelope termed
capsular antigen or fraction I (F-1) when cultured at 37 ºC, or in direct smears taken
from infected hosts (mice, guinea pigs, humans).
Capsule is not produced but displays a carbohydrate-protein envelope termed
capsular antigen or fraction I (F-1) when cultured at 37 ºC, or in direct smears taken
from infected hosts (mice, guinea pigs, humans).
Small, gray-white, opaque, irregular colonies, 0.1 to 1.0 mm in diameter after 24
hours incubation. Does not produce pigment but adsorb large amounts of exogenous
hemin that cause formation of apparently pigmented colonies at 26 ºC (not at 37 ºC).
Facultatively anaerobic, optimum growth temperature 28 ºC. Grow very slowly at 4 ºC
(1-3 weeks). Variable growth on MacConkey agar.
hours incubation. Does not produce pigment but adsorb large amounts of exogenous
hemin that cause formation of apparently pigmented colonies at 26 ºC (not at 37 ºC).
Facultatively anaerobic, optimum growth temperature 28 ºC. Grow very slowly at 4 ºC
(1-3 weeks). Variable growth on MacConkey agar.
Widespread distribution.
Produce a bacteriocin active on Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Usually susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics, tetracycline, doxycyline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Produce a bacteriocin active on Y. pseudotuberculosis.
Usually susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics, tetracycline, doxycyline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
- 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. - Bercovier H., Steigerwalt A.G.) Guiyoule A., Huntley-Carter G. & Brenner D.J.: Yersinia aldovae (formerly Yersinia enterocolitica-like
group X2): a new species of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from aquatic ecosystems. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1984, 34, 166-172. - Sprague L.D. & Neubauer H.: Yersinia aleksiciae sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 2005, 55, 831-835.
- Frederiksen W.: A study of some Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-like bacteria (Bacterium enterocoliticum and Pasteurella X).
Proceedings of the XIV Scandinavian Congress of Pathology and Microbiology, Oslo 1964, Norwegian Universities Press, Oslo,
1964, pp. 103-104. - Neubauer H., Aleksic S., Hensel A., Finke E.J. & Meyer H.: Yersinia enterocolitica 16S rRNA gene types belong to the same
genospecies but form three homology groups. Int. J. Med. Microbiol., 2000, 290, 61-64. - Ursing J., Brenner D.J., Bercovier H., Fanning G.R., Steigerwalt A.G., Brault J. & Mollaret H.H.: Yersinia frederiksenii: a new species
of Enterobacteriaceae composed of rhamnose-positive strains (formerly called atypical Yersinia enterocolitica or Yersinia
enterocolitica-like). Curr. Microbiol., 1980, 4, 213-217. - Brenner D.J., Bercovier H., Ursing J., Alonso J.M., Steigerwalt A.G., Fanning G.R., Carter G.P. & Mollaret H.H.: Yersinia intermedia:
a new species of Enterobacteriaceae composed of rhamnose-positive, melibiose-positive, raffinose-positive strains (formerly
called Yersinia enterocolitica or Yersinia enterocolitica-like). Curr. Microbiol., 1980, 4, 207-212. - Wauters G., Janssens M., Steigerwalt A.G. & Brenner D.J.: Yersinia mollaretii sp. nov. and Yersinia bercovieri sp. nov., formerly
called Yersinia enterocolitica biogroups 3A and 3B. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1988, 38, 424-429. - JUDICIAL OPINION 60: Rejection of the name Yersinia pseudotuberculosis subsp. pestis (van Loghem) Bercovier et al. 1981 and
conservation of the name Yersinia pestis (Lehmann and Neumann) van Loghem 1944 for the plague bacillus. Int. J. Syst.
Bacteriol., 1985, 35, 540 - Hollis D.G., Weaver R.E., Steigerwalt A.G., Wenger J.D., Moss C.W. & Brenner D.J.: Francisella philomiragia comb. nov. (formerly
Yersinia philomiragia) and Francisella tularensis biogroup novicida (formerly Francisella novicida) associated with human
disease. J. Clin. Microbiol., 1989, 27, 1601-1608. - Aleksic S., Steigerwalt A.G., Bockemuhl J., Hunrley-Carter G.P. & Brenner D.J.: Yersinia rohdei sp. nov. isolated from human and
dog feces and surface water. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1987, 37, 327-332. - Ewing W.H., Ross A.J., Brenner D.J. & Fanning G.R.: Yersinia ruckeri sp. nov., the redmouth (RM) bacterium. International Journal
of Systematic Bacteriology, 1978, 28, 37-44. - Vicky Merhej, Toïdi Adékambi, Isabelle Pagnier, Didier Raoult, and Michel Drancourt: Yersinia massiliensis sp. nov., isolated from
fresh water. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol April 2008 58:779-784. - Lisa D. Sprague, Holger C. Scholz, Sabine Amann, H.-J. Busse, and Heinrich Neubauer: Yersinia similis sp. nov., Int J Syst Evol
Microbiol April 2008 58:952-958. - Don J. Brenner and J.J. Farmer III, 2001. Family I. Enterobacteriaceae. In: Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Second
edition, Vol two, part B, George M. Garrity (Editor-in-Chief), pp 587-897. - Roberto A. Souza, Deise P. Falcão, Juliana P. Falcão: Emended description of Yersinia massiliensis. International Journal of
Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 61: 1094-1097, 2011. - 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.
Some tests results may be negative at 37 ºC; optimum temperature is 28 ºC.
Positive results for catalase, methyl red, nitrates reduction (most strains), acid production from glucose (usually without gas),
D-mannitol, D-mannose, trehalose and D-xylose.
Negative results for oxidase, arginine dihydrolase, lysine decarboxylase, DN-ase, H2S production, Voges-Proskauer reaction,
phenylalanine deaminase, gelatin hydrolysis, growth on KCN medium, citrate utilization, malonate utilization, acid production from:
lactose, meso-inositol, dulcitol, mucate, erythritol and adonitol.
3 biogroups:
1. biogroup 'antiqua' produces acid aerobically from glycerol, reduces nitrate to nitrite, does not ferment melibiose,
2. biogroup 'medievalis' produces acid from glycerol and melibiose, but does not reduce nitrate to nitrite,
3. biogroup 'orientalis' (synonym: 'oceanic') does not produce acid from either glycerol or melibiose but reduces nitrate to nitrite.
Positive results for catalase, methyl red, nitrates reduction (most strains), acid production from glucose (usually without gas),
D-mannitol, D-mannose, trehalose and D-xylose.
Negative results for oxidase, arginine dihydrolase, lysine decarboxylase, DN-ase, H2S production, Voges-Proskauer reaction,
phenylalanine deaminase, gelatin hydrolysis, growth on KCN medium, citrate utilization, malonate utilization, acid production from:
lactose, meso-inositol, dulcitol, mucate, erythritol and adonitol.
3 biogroups:
1. biogroup 'antiqua' produces acid aerobically from glycerol, reduces nitrate to nitrite, does not ferment melibiose,
2. biogroup 'medievalis' produces acid from glycerol and melibiose, but does not reduce nitrate to nitrite,
3. biogroup 'orientalis' (synonym: 'oceanic') does not produce acid from either glycerol or melibiose but reduces nitrate to nitrite.
(c) Costin Stoica
| Antibiogram |
| Encyclopedia |
| Culture media |
| Biochemical tests |
| Stainings |
| Images |
| Movies |
| Articles |
| Identification |
| Software |
| R E G N U M PROKARYOTAE |
Differential characters of the species:
| Back |
Legend: + positive 90-100%, - negative 90-100%, [+] positive 75-89%, [-] negative 75-89%, d positive 25-74%.