Clostridium putrefaciens

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

Overview

  • Clostridium putrefaciens is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium. It has been detected in at least 7 gut microbiome compilation studies or metastudies. The DNA G+C content is 22-25%. Clostridium putrefaciens is probably a common, although minor, coloniser of the gut. (Rainey2011aBergey)



  • This organism has been recovered from human faeces, bacteriuria and rotting meat. The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 1, i.e., low risk of infection and spread (notes: opportunistic in immunocompromised patients). Can cause opportunistic infections, particularly in immunocompromised people. Likely to be transient and not a long-term gut commensal.
    • QUIRKS
  • Low optimum growth temp, so unlikely gut coloniser.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Rainey2011aBergey);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • meat;
  • 🧂
  • Salt tolerance:
  • doesn't tolerate 6.5% salt;
  • 💧
  • Bile tolerance:
  • Doesn't tolerate 20% bile
  • pH
  • Acidity tolerance:
  • grows weakly at pH 5.8; grows weakly at pH 8.5; Grows optimally at pH 6.2-7.4.
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • grows weakly at 5℃; grows at 25℃; doesn't grow at 37℃; Grows optimally at 15-22℃.
  • ⥅
  • Substrates assimilated or utilised:
  • arginine; glycine; isoleucine; leucine; phenylalanine; serine; threonine; tryptophan; tyrosine; valine;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Rainey2011aBergey);
    Character Response
  • ✓
  • Metabolites produced:
  • formate; acetate; lactate; succinate; H₂S (most strains; weak); ammoniaminor;
  • ✗
  • Metabolites not produced:
  • H₂;
  • Haemolysis:
  • beta
  • ✗
  • Nitrate:
  • not reduced

  • Finegold, S. M., Howard, R. A., & Vera, L. S. (1974). Effect of diet on human intestinal fecal flora: comparison of Japanese and American diets. Am. J. Clin. Nutr, 27, 1456–1469.

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Firmicutes Class:  Clostridia Order:  Eubacteriales Family:  Clostridiaceae Genus:  Clostridium Gram stain:  + O2 Relation.:  anaerobic Spore:  Endospore Motility:  Sessile Morphology:  Rod
    Health:  Unknown
    Source:  human faeces, bacteriuria and rotting meat
    DNA G+C(%):  22-25
    Opt. T:  15-22℃
    Low T(℃):  5(w)
    Lower T(℃):  25(+)
    Mid T(℃):  37(neg)
    NaCl >6%:  6.5(neg)
    Opt. pH:  6.2-7.4
    pH 4.2-5.9:  5.8(w)
    pH >8:  8.5(w)
    Bile reaction(%):  20(neg)
    		Aesculin:  neg Starch:  neg Milk:  neg Meat:  +
    SUBSTRATE ASSIMILATION & UTILISATION
    Monosaccharide util/assim Oligosaccharide util/assim Other carboh. util/assim Amino acid util/assim Organic acid util/assim
    Arabinose:  neg Fructose:  neg Galactose:  neg Mannose:  neg Rhamnose:  neg Ribose:  neg Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  neg Lactose:  neg Maltose:  neg Melezitose:  neg Raffinose:  neg Sucrose:  neg Trehalose:  neg Amygdalin:  neg Glycogen:  neg Inulin:  neg Mannitol:  neg Salicin:  neg Sorbitol:  neg Starch:  neg Arg:  + Gly:  + Ile:  + Leu:  + Phe:  + Ser:  + Thr:  + Trp:  + Tyr:  + Val:  + Pyruvate:  neg
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Lecithinase:  neg Lipase:  neg
    METABOLITES - PRODUCTION & USE
    Fuel Usable Metabolites Metabolites Released Special Products Compounds Produced

    		Formate:  + Acetate:  + Lactate:  + Succinate:  + H2S:  w(+) Ammonia:  minor H2:  neg

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR CLOSTRIDIUM PUTREFACIENS
  • Rainey2011aBergey - Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 3, The Firmicutes. Family Clostridiaceae, Genus I. Clostridium - Cluster I
  • ...............................
    • GUT MICROBIOME COMPILATIONS AND METASTUDIES FOR CLOSTRIDIUM PUTREFACIENS
  • Benno1984 - The intestinal microflora of infants: composition of fecal flora in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.
  • Benno1989 - Comparison of fecal microflora of elderly persons in rural and urban areas of Japan.
  • Finegold1974 - Effect of diet on human fecal flora: comparison of Japanese and American diets
  • Finegold1977 - Fecal microbial flora in Seventh Day Adventist populations and control subjects.
  • Lagier2016 - Culture of previously uncultured members of the human gut microbiota by culturomics.
  • RajilicStojanovic2014 - The first 1000 cultured species of the human gastrointestinal microbiota.
  • Taylor1985 - Nine-year microflora study of an isolator-maintained immunodeficient child.
  • ...............................
    • GENERAL REFERENCES FOR CLOSTRIDIUM PUTREFACIENS
  • Ludwig2009 - Revised road map to the phylum Firmicutes.
    • Added: April 08, 2021