Mycobacterium pyrenivorans is a scotochromogenic, rapidly growing mycobacterium

Mycobacterium

Mycobacterium is a genus of Actinobacteria, given its own family, the Mycobacteriaceae. The genus includes pathogens known to cause serious diseases in mammals, including tuberculosis and leprosy...

, first isolated from an enrichment culture obtained from soil that was highly contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The soil sample was collected on the site of a former coking plant at Ubach-Palenberg, Germany. Etymology

Etymology

Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

: pyrenivorans; digesting pyrene.

Description

Microscopy

• Gram-positive
  Gram-positive
  Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink...
  
  , acid-fast
  Acid-fast
  Acid-fastness is a physical property of certain bacteria, specifically their resistance to decolorization by acids during staining procedures.Acid-fast organisms are difficult to characterize using standard microbiological techniques Acid-fastness is a physical property of certain bacteria,...
  
   rods.

Colony characteristics

• The rough colonies show a scotochromogenic yellow colour, which intensifies after exposure to light.

Physiology

• A rapidly growing mycobacterium, growth appears within 7 days at 35 C
• Cells grow well between 24 and 37C but not at 42C. \
• In liquid media, the cells clump together or show biofilm formation on glass.
• Catalase-positive. Nitrate reduction test shows a weak reaction.
• Does not hydrolyse Tween 80 within 10 days.
• Mineralizes phenanthrene
  Phenanthrene
  Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon composed of three fused benzene rings. The name phenanthrene is a composite of phenyl and anthracene. In its pure form, it is found in cigarette smoke and is a known irritant, photosensitizing skin to light...
  
  , fluoranthene
  Fluoranthene
  Fluoranthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of a naphthalene and a benzene unit connected by a five-membered ring. It is a member of the class of PAHs known as non-alternant PAHs because it has rings other than those with six carbon atoms. It is a structural isomer of the...
  
  , and pyrene
  Pyrene
  Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of four fused benzene rings, resulting in a flat aromatic system. The chemical formula is . This colourless solid is the smallest peri-fused PAH...
  
  , but not anthracene
  Anthracene
  Anthracene is a solid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of three fused benzene rings. It is a component of coal-tar. Anthracene is used in the production of the red dye alizarin and other dyes...
  
  or benzo[a]pyrene.

Differential characteristics

• The mycolic acid HPLC elution profile is unique and can be used for differentiation from the closely related species M. aurum, M. austroafricanum, M. vaccae and M. vanbaalenii and all other mycobacteria.

Type strain

• The type strain was isolated from soil of a former coking plant at Ubach-Palenberg, Germany.
• Strain 17A3 = DSM 44605 = NRRL B-24349.