Bacillus anthracis

Bacteria
General | Carbohydrate O/F | Substrate utilisation | Enzymes | Metabolites | Antibiotics

Overview

  • Bacillus anthracis is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, facultatively anaerobic, non-motile, short rod-shaped bacterium. It has been detected in at least 1 gut microbiome compilation study or metastudy. The DNA G+C content is 32.2-33.9%. Bacillus anthracis is unlikely to be a gut coloniser. (Logan2011Bergey)



  • This organism has been recovered from blood, carcasses, soil and animal products. The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 3, i.e., high risk of individual infection, and some risk of spread (notes: zoonotic pathogen). This is a dangerous pathogen. Likely to be transient and not a long-term gut commensal.
    • QUIRKS
  • Causative agent of the disease anthrax.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Logan2011Bergey);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • aesculin; casein; gelatin; starch;
  • 🧂
  • Salt tolerance:
  • tolerates 0% salt; tolerates 7% salt;
  • pH
  • Acidity tolerance:
  • tolerates pH 6.0;
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • doesn't grow at 10℃; grows at 20℃; grows at 40℃;
  • H+
  • Acid from carbohydrates usually produced:
  • glucose; ribose; glycogen; starch; maltose; sucrose; trehalose; N-Ac glucosamine;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent acid from carbs:
  • fructose; arbutin;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent substrate utilisation:
  • citrate;
  • Active enzymes:
  • catalase;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Logan2011Bergey);
    Character Response
  • ✓
  • VP test:
  • active
  • ✗
  • Haemolysis:
  • absent
  • ✓
  • Nitrate:
  • reduced
  • ✗
  • Pigments:
  • not produced

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Firmicutes Class:  Bacilli Order:  Bacillales Family:  Bacillaceae Genus:  Bacillus Gram stain:  + O2 Relation.:  facultatively anaerobic Spore:  Endospore Motility:  Sessile Morphology:  Short Rod Pigment:  neg
    Health:  Unknown
    Source:  blood, carcasses, soil and animal products
    DNA G+C(%):  32.2-33.9
    Low T(℃):  10(neg)
    Lower T(℃):  20(+)
    Mid T(℃):  40(+)
    NaCl 0.5-2%:  0(+)
    NaCl >6%:  7(+)
    pH 6.0-8.0:  6.0(+)
    		Aesculin:  + Urea:  neg Gelatin:  + Starch:  + Casein:  + Tyrosine:  neg
    CARBOHYDRATE ACID FORMATION
    Monosaccharide O/F Oligosaccharide O/F Polysaccharide O/F Polyol O/F Other O/F
    D-Arabinose:  neg L-Arabinose:  neg Fructose:  d Fucose:  neg D-Fucose:  neg Galactose:  neg Glucose:  + Mannose:  neg Rhamnose:  neg Ribose:  + Sorbose:  neg D-Tagatose:  neg Xylose:  neg L-Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  neg Gentiobiose:  neg Lactose:  neg Maltose:  + Melezitose:  neg Melibiose:  neg Sucrose:  + Trehalose:  + Turanose:  neg Amygdalin:  neg Glycogen:  + Inulin:  neg Starch:  + Adonitol:  neg D-Arabitol:  neg L-Arabitol:  neg Dulcitol:  neg Erythritol:  neg Glycerol:  neg Inositol:  neg Sorbitol:  neg Xylitol:  neg Arbutin:  d Gluconate:  neg 2-Ketogluconate:  neg 5-Ketogluconate:  neg Me-α-D-Glc:  neg Me-α-D-Mann:  neg Me-Xyloside:  neg NAc-α-GA:  + Salicin:  neg
    SUBSTRATE ASSIMILATION & UTILISATION
    Monosaccharide util/assim Oligosaccharide util/assim Other carboh. util/assim Amino acid util/assim Organic acid util/assim
    Citrate:  d
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Catalase:  + Urease:  neg β-Galactosidase:  neg ArgDH:  neg LysDC:  neg OrnDC:  neg Phe deaminase:  neg
    METABOLITES - PRODUCTION & USE
    Fuel Usable Metabolites Metabolites Released Special Products Compounds Produced

    		Pigment:  neg

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR BACILLUS ANTHRACIS
  • Logan2011Bergey - Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 3, The Firmicutes. Family Bacillaceae Genus I. Bacillus
  • Henderson1994 - Differentiation of Bacillus anthracis from other Bacillus cereus group bacteria with the PCR.
  • ...............................
    • GUT MICROBIOME COMPILATIONS AND METASTUDIES FOR BACILLUS ANTHRACIS
  • Zou2019 - 1,520 reference genomes from cultivated human gut bacteria enable functional microbiome analyses.
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    • Added: February 09, 2022