Cross Index Micrococcus
SuperSet Prokaryote, Eubacteria Gram Positive Cocci
Compare aerobes: Deinobacter grandis Deinococcus, Marinococcus, Micrococcus, Planococcus , Salinicoccus roseus

facultative anaerobes: Aerococcus viridans, Enterococcus, Gemella haemolysans, Lactococcus Leuconostoc, Melissococcus pluton, Pediococcus, Saccharococcus thermophilus, Staphylococcus, Stomatococcus mucilaginsos, Streptococcus, Trichococcus flocculiformis, Vagococcus


anaerobes Coprococcus, Peptococcus niger , Peptostreptococcus, Ruminococcus, Sarcina


Catalase positive:Deinococcus, Micrococcus, Planococcus, Staphylococcus,, Stomatococcus mucilaginsosus

Contrast Archaea
Subset  

 

Morphology Micrococcus
CELLULAR  
Staining Gram-positive
Morphology cocci in clusters and tetrads
Motility non motile (M. agilis is motile),
Specialized structures No capsules No spores
Division  
COLONIAL  
Solid surface M. roseus produces canthazanthin, which is a distinctive pink pigment.. Isolate using P agar or P agar with 7% NaCl to suppress Bacillus. FTO agar supports the growth of Micrococcus and supresses the growth of Staphylococcus
Liquid  

 

Growth Parameters Micrococcus
PHYSIOLOGICAL  
Tropism  
Oxygen strictly aerobic
pH  
Temperature  
Requirements  
Products growth on furazolidine (FTO) agar Generally no anaerobic fermentation of glucose (M kristinae produces acid from glucose anaerobically) Acid without gas from glucose WHEN UTILIZED
Enzymes Catalase positive. Oxidase positive
Unique features They are resistent to lysostaphin and contain hydrogenated menaquinones. Glycine is absent and L-lysine is present in the peptidoglycan Teichoic acid is absent from the cell wall. All strains grow in the presence of 5% NaCl and many grow in 10-15% NaCl,

. M. luteus oxidizes carbon compounds such as glucose to carbon dioxide and water. Hence no acid is found and glucose and the fermentation tests appear negative.

   
ENVIRONMENTAL  
Habitat The primary natural habitat is the mammalian skin; the secondary habitat is meat and dairy products, soil and water.
Lifestyle  
Pathogenicity They may be associated with human infections particularly in immunosuppressed patients
Distribution  

 

Differential characteristics M. luteus M. roseus M. varians
Pigment yellow red yellow
glucose: acid - variable -
fatfatty acid + variable -
nitrate - + +
lysozyme sensitive resistent resistent
Novobiocin variable sensitive resistent
G + C(moles%) of DNA 7l-75 66-72 66-72

 

Genome Micrococcus
G+C Mol % 64-75
   

 

Reference Micrococcus
First citation Cohn, F. (1872) Untersuchunger uber Bakterien. Beitr. Biol. Pflanz 1875 1 (helft):127-224
The Prokaryotes p
Bergey's Systematatic p 1004 M. Kocur
Bergey's Determinative p 530
References