Mycobacterium asiaticum explained

Mycobacterium asiaticum is a slowly growing photochromogenic mycobacterium first isolated from monkeys in 1965. M. asiaticum can, but rarely, causes human pulmonary disease.

Description

Microscopy

• Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast, coccoid rods.

Colony characteristics

• Dysgonic and yellow photochromogenic (pigment not produced in the dark) colonies.

Physiology

• Slow growth on Löwenstein-Jensen medium at 37 °C after 15–21 days.

Differential characteristics

• Unique 16S rRNA sequence.
• Biochemically M. asiaticum (photochromogenic) and Mycobacterium gordonae (scotochromogenic) can only be differentiated by the mode of pigmentation.

Pathogenesis

• Rarely causes human pulmonary disease.

Type strain

• First isolated from monkeys in 1965.
• Strain ATCC 25276 = CCUG 29115 = CIP 106809 = DSM 44297 = JCM 6409.

References

• SKERMAN (V.B.D.), McGOWAN (V.) and SNEATH (P.H.A.) (editors): Approved Lists of Bacterial Names. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1980, 30, 225–420. [WEISZFEILER (J.), KARASSEVA (G.V.) and KARCZAG (E.): A new Mycobacterium species: Mycobacterium asiaticum n. sp. Acta Microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 1971, 18, 247–252. {{PMID|5006093}} ==External links== *[http://bacdive.dsmz.de/index.php?search=8431&submit=Search Type strain of ''Mycobacterium asiaticum'' at Bac''Dive'' - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase]