Taxonomy
Morphology
Cultural characteristics
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Phylum Actinobacteria, Class Actinobacteria, Order Actinomycetales, Suborder Corynebacterineae, Family Mycobacteriaceae, Genus
Mycobacterium, Mycobacterium shimoidei (ex Tsukamura et al. 1975) Tsukamura 1982.
Acid-fast rods (3-5 x 0.6 μm) with frequent cross barring, No mycelium or cord
formation.
Colonies are rough, non-pigmented when grown in the dark or when exposed to ligh,
and appear after incubation for 14-21 days on Lowenstein–Jensen medium.
Temperature range for growth is 28-45 ºC; optimal growth is at 37-45 ºC (variable
growth at 45 ºC). Does not grow on media supplemented with 5% (w/v) NaCl, on
Sauton agar or on Sauton agar containing 0.1% NaNO2 or 0.2% picric acid. No growth
on MacConkey agar without crystal violet.
Isolated from a lung infection, in Japan and from a gold fish (Carassius auratus) intestine and ovary in South Africa.
Susceptible to hydroxylamine (500 µg/ml). Resistant to isoniazid (1 µg/ml), rifampin (25 µg/ml), ethambutol (5 µg/ml) and
tiophene-2-carboxylic acid hydrazide (1 µg/ml).
Considered to be pathogenic, causing lung infections in humans. One strain was isolated from a gold fish intestine and ovary
presenting granulomous lesions.
- John G. Magee and Alan C. Ward 2012. Family III. Mycobacteriaceae Chester 1897, 63AL in Bergey’s Manual of Systematic
Bacteriology, Volume Five The Actinobacteria, Part A, Michael Goodfellow & al. (editors), 312-375.
- Loredana Gabriela Popa, Mircea Ioan Popa 2009. Identificarea bacililor acido-rezistenti in: Tratat de microbiologie clinica, Dumitru
Buiuc, Marian Negut, ed. a III-a, Editura Medicala, 881-890, ISBN (13) 978-973-39-0593-6.
- Tsukamura M. Mycobacterium shimoidei sp. nov., nom. rev., a lung pathogen. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1982; 32:67-69.
- Gcebe, N., Michel, A.L. & Hlokwe, T.M. Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium species causing mycobacteriosis in farmed aquatic
animals of South Africa. BMC Microbiol 18, 32 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-018-1177-9.
Positive results for acid phosphatase, catalase (inactivated at 68 ºC), nicotinamidase, pyrazinamidase, and Tween 80 hydrolysis.
Negative results for arylsulfatase after 14 days, catalase semiquantitative test, alpha- and beta-esterase, beta-galactosidase, niacin
production, nitrate reduction, urea hydrolysis, acetamidase, benzamidase, isonicotinamidase, salicylamidase, allantoinase, and
succinamidase.
No utilization as sole carbon source in the presence of ammoniacal nitrogen: acetate, citrate, succinate, malate, pyruvate, benzoate,
malonate, fumarate, glucose, fructose, sucrose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, rhamnose, trehalose, inositol, mannitol,
sorbitol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, isobutanol, propylene glycol, and 1,3-, 2,3-, and 1,4-butylene glycols.
(c) Costin Stoica