0.8 by 2.0 to 8.0 microns, occurring singly, in pairs or in short chains. Active, darting motility by means of 1 to 3 polar flagella. Gram-negative. Grows only in media to which body fluids (blood, ascites, etc.) have been added or in other enriched media. Ascitic fluid broth: Almost imperceptible turbidity. Thioglycollate broth: Light, floccular turbidity. Blood agar colonies : After 5 days, smooth, convex, grayish yellow, dull and translucent with a finely fimbriate margin. Less than 0.5 mm in diameter. Frequently surrounded by a narrow zone of green. Coagulated blood serum: Cloth-like growth. No odor. Nitrites produced from nitrates by some strains. Indole not produced. Hydrogen sulfide produced. Carbohydrates not utilized. Optimum pH, 7.2. Feeble growth between pH 6.0 and 9.7. Serology: Cross-reacting, somatic anti- gens have been demonstrated. Anaerobic. Optimum temperature, 37° C. Growth feeble at 27° and 45° C. No growth at 20° C. Source: Isolated by Pr^vot from a case of bronchitis. Habitat: Found in the human oral cavity and in fusospirochetal diseases of the mouth.
Genus II. Desulfovibrio Kluyver and van Niel, 1936.[1]
(Kluyver and van Niel, Zent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 94, 1936, 369; Sporovibrio Starkey, Arch. f. Mikrobiol., 9, 1938, 300.)
De.sul.fo.vib'ri.o. L. pref. de from; L. sulfur sulfur; L. v. vibro to vibrate; M.L. mas.n. Vibrio that which vibrates, a generic name; M.L. mas.n. Desulfovibrio a vibrio that reduces sulfur compounds.
Slightly curved rods of variable length, usually occurring singly but sometimes in short chains which have the appearance of spirilla. Swollen pleomorphic forms are common. Actively motile by means of a single polar flagellum. Strict anaerobes which reduce sulfates to hydrogen sulfide. Found in sea water, marine mud, fresh water and soil.
The type species is Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (Beijerinck) Kluyver and van Niel.
1. Desulfovibrio desulfuricans (Beijer- inck, 1895) Kluyver and van Niel, 1936. (Bacterium hydrosulfureum ponticum Zelin- sky, Proc. Russ. Phys. and Chem. Soc, 25, 1893, 298; Spirillum desulfuricans Beijer- inck, Cent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 1, 1895, 1; Kluyver and van Niel, Zent. f. Bakt., II Abt., 94, 1936, 369; Sporovibrio desulfuricans Starkey, Koninkl. Nederland. Akad. v. Wetenschappen, Proc, 41, 1938, 426; also in Arch. f. Mikrobiol., 9, 1938, 268.) de.sul.fur'i.cans. L. pref. de from; L. noun sulfur sulfur; M.L. part. adj. desul- furicans reducing sulfur compounds. Slightly curved rods, 0.5 to 1.0 by 1 to 5 microns, usuall}- occurring singly but some- times in pairs and short chains which cause them to look like spirilla. Swollen pleomor- phic forms are common. Older cells appear black due to precipitated ferric sulfide. Actively motile, possessing a polar flagel- lum. Stains readily with carbol fuchsin. Gram-negative. Gelatin: No liquefaction. Grows best in fresh-water media. Fails to develop in sea water upon initial isolation. Produces opalescent turbidity in absence of oxygen in mineral media enriched with sulfate and peptone. Media containing iron salts and sulfur compounds blackened. Bacteria found asso- ciated with precipitated ferrous sulfide. Peptone-glucose agar colonies (in absence of air) : Small, circular, slightly raised, dull, entire, soft in consistency. Peptone, asparagine, glycine, alanine,
- ↑ Prepared by Dr. Claude E. ZoBell, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, January, 1943; revised January, 1953.
