| Cross Index | Megasphaera |
| SuperSet | Prokaryote, Eubacteria Anaerobic Gram-Negative Cocci |
| Compare | Acidaminococcus fermentans, Megasphaera, Syntrophococcus sucromutans Veillonella |
| Contrast | Archaea Gram positive cocci |
| Subset |
| Morphology | Megasphaera |
| CELLULAR |
| Staining | Gram-negative. |
| Morphology | Cocci, 2.0 um or more in diameter, in pairs or occasionally in chains. |
| Motility | Nonmotile. |
| Specialized structures | Nonsporulating |
| Division |
| COLONIAL |
| Solid surface |
| Liquid |
| Growth Parameters | Megasphaera |
| PHYSIOLOGICAL |
| Tropism | Chemoorganotrophic |
| Oxygen | Anaerobic |
| pH | |
| Temperature | Growth occurs from 25 to 40`C but generally not at 45`C. |
| Requirements | complex |
| Products | Gas is produced. Lactate is fermented with the production of acetate, propionate, 4-carbon straight- and branched-chain fatty acids, valerate, little or no caproic acid, a large quantity of CO2, and small amounts of H2. Glucose is fermented with different products: some formate is produced, less acetate, propionate, butyrate and valerate, and caproate is the most copious product (60% or more of the total). Pyruvate is utilized, but succinate, fumarate and malate are not attacked. |
| Enzymes | Catalase-negative |
| Unique features |
| ENVIRONMENTAL |
| Habitat | Found in the rumen of cattle and sheep and in the feces and intestine of man. |
| Lifestyle | |
| Pathogenicity |
| Distribution |
| Genome | Megasphaera |
| G+C Mol % | 53.6 (Bd) |
| Reference | Megasphaera |
| First citation | Rogosa, M 1971 Transfer of Peptostreptococcus elsdenii Gutierrez et al to a new genus Megasphaera M. elsdenii (Gutierrez et al.) comb. nov., IJSB 21: 187-189 |
| The Prokaryotes | p |
| Bergey's Systematatic | p 685 M. Rogosa |
| Bergey's Determinative | p 347 |
| References |