Clostridium tetani

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

Overview

  • Clostridium tetani is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, strictly anaerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium. It has been detected in at least 3 gut microbiome compilation studies or metastudies. The DNA G+C content is 25-26%. Clostridium tetani is likely to be transient and not a long-term gut coloniser. (Hall1922; Nakamura1979; Rainey2011aBergey)



  • This organism has been recovered from human faeces (Rainey2011aBergey), animal faeces, soil, clinical sources (wounds, infected gums, infections). The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 2, i.e., risk of individual infection, but low risk of spread (notes: toxin produced; vaccine available, human and animal pathogen). Is a known human pathogen. Is a known gut commensal. Robust growth can have negative consequences for gut health.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Hall1922); (Nakamura1979); (Rainey2011aBergey);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • gelatin;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent hydrolysis or digestion:
  • casein;
  • 🧂
  • Salt tolerance:
  • doesn't tolerate 6.5% salt;
  • 💧
  • Bile tolerance:
  • Doesn't tolerate 20% bile
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • grows weakly at 30℃; doesn't grow at 45℃; Grows optimally at 37℃.
  • ⥅
  • Substrates assimilated or utilised:
  • inositol; aspartate; glutamate; histidine; phenylalanine; serine; threonine; tryptophan; tyrosine; lactate; pyruvate; glutamine;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent substrate utilisation:
  • glucose; methionine;
  • Active enzymes:
  • DNase;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Rainey2011aBergey);
    Character Response
  • ✓
  • Metabolites produced:
  • acetate; propionate (minor); butyrate; lactate (minor); ethanolminor; butanolminor; succinate (minor); Hâ‚‚S; ammonia; Hâ‚‚; indole (strain-dependent);
  • Haemolysis:
  • beta
  • ✗
  • Nitrate:
  • not reduced

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Firmicutes Class:  Clostridia Order:  Eubacteriales Family:  Clostridiaceae Genus:  Clostridium Gram stain:  + O2 Relation.:  strictly anaerobic Spore:  Endospore Motility:  Swimming Morphology:  Rod
    Health:   Negative
    Source:  human faeces (Rainey2011aBergey), animal faeces, soil, clinical sources (wounds, infected gums, infections)
    DNA G+C(%):  25-26
    Opt. T:  37℃
    Lower T(℃):  30(w)
    High T(℃):  45(neg)
    NaCl >6%:  6.5(neg)
    Bile reaction(%):  20(neg)
    		Aesculin:  neg Urea:  neg Gelatin:  + Casein:  d(neg) Milk:  neg Meat:  vr
    CARBOHYDRATE ACID FORMATION
    Monosaccharide O/F Oligosaccharide O/F Polysaccharide O/F Polyol O/F Other O/F
    Arabinose:  neg Glucose:  neg Mannose:  neg Rhamnose:  neg Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  neg Lactose:  neg Maltose:  neg Melezitose:  neg Sucrose:  neg Trehalose:  neg Glycerol:  neg Mannitol:  neg Sorbitol:  neg Salicin:  neg
    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 Glucose:  d Mannose:  neg Rhamnose:  neg Ribose:  neg Sorbose:  neg Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  neg Lactose:  neg Maltose:  neg Melezitose:  neg Raffinose:  neg Sucrose:  neg Trehalose:  neg Amygdalin:  neg Glycerol:  neg Glycogen:  neg Inositol:  + Inulin:  neg Mannitol:  neg Salicin:  neg Sorbitol:  neg Starch:  neg Asp:  + Glu:  + His:  + Met:  d Phe:  + Ser:  + Thr:  + Trp:  + Tyr:  + Lactate:  + Pyruvate:  +
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Urease:  neg Ac-β-glcamnd:  neg α-Fucosidase:  neg α-Galactosidase:  neg β-Galactosidase:  neg α-Glucosidase:  neg β-Glucosidase:  neg β-Glucuronidase:  neg ArgDH:  neg GluDC:  neg AlanineAA:  neg GluGluAA:  neg GlyAA:  neg LeuAA:  neg LeuGlyAA:  neg PyrrolidAA:  neg DNAse:  + Lecithinase:  neg Lipase:  neg
    METABOLITES - PRODUCTION & USE
    Fuel Usable Metabolites Metabolites Released Special Products Compounds Produced

    		Acetate:  + Propionate:  minor(+) Butyrate:  + Lactate:  minor(+) Ethanol:  minor Butanol:  minor Succinate:  minor(+) H2S:  + Ammonia:  + H2:  + Indole:  (d)

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI
  • Hall1922 - Differentiation and identification of the sporulating anaerobes.
  • Nakamura1979 - Taxonomy of Clostridium tetani and Related Species.
  • 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 TETANI
  • Lagier2016 - Culture of previously uncultured members of the human gut microbiota by culturomics.
  • New2022 - Collective effects of human genomic variation on microbiome function.
  • Zeller2014 - Potential of fecal microbiota for early-stage detection of colorectal cancer
  • ...............................
    • GENERAL REFERENCES FOR CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI
  • Ludwig2009 - Revised road map to the phylum Firmicutes.
    • Added: February 08, 2021