Geobacillus stearothermophilus

(aka Bacillus stearothermophilus)

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

Overview

  • Geobacillus stearothermophilus, (aka Bacillus stearothermophilus), is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium. It has been detected in at least 2 gut microbiome compilation studies or metastudies. The DNA G+C content is 51.9%. Geobacillus stearothermophilus is likely to be transient and not a long-term gut coloniser. (Nazina2001; Logan2011cBergey)



  • This organism has been recovered from human faeces, hot springs, compost, food and soil. The risk classification (www.baua.de) for this organism is 1, i.e., low risk of infection and spread. Pathogenicity status unknown, or very unlikely to be pathogenic. Likely to be transient and not a long-term gut commensal. Robust growth can have positive consequences for gut health.
    • QUIRKS
  • High optimum growth temperature so unlikely to be a gut coloniser.
    • GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (Nazina2001); (Logan2011cBergey);
    Character Response
  • Substrates hydrolysed or digested:
  • gelatin;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent hydrolysis or digestion:
  • aesculin;
  • 🧂
  • Salt tolerance:
  • tolerates 1% salt; strain-variable at 5.0(d)%;
  • pH
  • Acidity tolerance:
  • tolerates pH 6.0-8.0; doesn't tolerate pH 8.5; Grows optimally at pH 6.5-7.0.
  • 🌡
  • Temperature tolerance:
  • strain-variable at 35(d); Grows optimally at 55-65℃.
  • H+
  • Acid from carbohydrates usually produced:
  • arabinose; fructose; galactose; glucose; mannose; D-tagatose; glycogen; starch; maltose; melezitose; melibiose; raffinose; sucrose; trehalose; D-turanose; glycerol; 5-ketogluconate; α-methyl glucoside;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent acid from carbs:
  • L-arabinose;
  • ⥅
  • Substrates assimilated or utilised:
  • melibiose; starch; acetate;
  • ±
  • Strain-dependent substrate utilisation:
  • aesculin; citrate;
  • Active enzymes:
  • catalase; oxidase;
    • SPECIAL FEATURES (Nazina2001); (Logan2011cBergey);
    Character Response
  • ✗
  • Metabolites not produced:
  • H₂S; indole;
  • ±
  • Methyl red test:
  • strain dependent
  • ✗
  • VP test:
  • not active
  • ✗
  • ONPG test:
  • not active
    • RESPONSE TO ANTIBIOTICS (Reva1995);
    Class Active Resistant
  • Penicillins:
  • ampicillin; oxacillin;
  • Macrolides:
  • oleandomycin;
  • Tetracyclines:
  • tetracycline;
  • NOTES

    Can utilise n-alkanes and gelatin as carbon sources.  Some strains can weakly use casein, while G. vulcani cannot.

  • Lagier, J.-C., Armougom, F., Million, M., Hugon, P., Pagnier, I., Robert, C., Bittar, F., Fournous, G., Gimenez, G., Maraninchi, M., Trape, J.-F., Koonin, E. V., La Scola, B., & Raoult, D. (2012). Microbial culturomics: paradigm shift in the human gut microbiome study. Clinical Microbiology and Infection: The Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 18(12), 1185–1193.

    • Details

    GENERAL
    Lineage Physiology General Growth Tolerances Hydrol./digest./degr.
    Phylum:  Firmicutes Class:  Bacilli Order:  Caryophanales Family:  Bacillaceae Genus:  Geobacillus Alt. name:  Bacillus stearothermophilus Gram stain:  + O2 Relation.:  aerobic Spore:  Endospore Motility:  Swimming Morphology:  Rod
    Health:   Positive
    Source:  human faeces, hot springs, compost, food and soil
    DNA G+C(%):  51.9
    Opt. T:  55-65℃
    Mid T(℃):  35(d)
    NaCl 0.5-2%:  1(+)
    NaCl 3-5%:  5.0(d)
    Opt. pH:  6.5-7.0
    pH 6.0-8.0:  6.0-8.0(+)
    pH >8:  8.5(neg)
    		Aesculin:  d Urea:  neg Gelatin:  + Tyrosine:  neg
    CARBOHYDRATE ACID FORMATION
    Monosaccharide O/F Oligosaccharide O/F Polysaccharide O/F Polyol O/F Other O/F
    Arabinose:  + D-Arabinose:  neg L-Arabinose:  d Fructose:  + Fucose:  neg D-Fucose:  neg Galactose:  + Glucose:  + Mannose:  + Rhamnose:  neg Ribose:  neg Sorbose:  neg L-Sorbose:  neg D-Tagatose:  + Xylose:  neg L-Xylose:  neg Cellubiose:  neg Gentiobiose:  neg Lactose:  neg Maltose:  + Melezitose:  + Melibiose:  + Sucrose:  + Trehalose:  + Turanose:  + Amygdalin:  neg Glycogen:  + Inulin:  neg Starch:  + Adonitol:  neg D-Arabitol:  neg L-Arabitol:  neg Dulcitol:  neg Erythritol:  neg Glycerol:  + Inositol:  neg Mannitol:  neg Sorbitol:  neg Xylitol:  neg Arbutin:  neg Gluconate:  neg 2-Ketogluconate:  neg 5-Ketogluconate:  + Me-α-D-Glc:  + Me-α-D-Mann:  neg Me-Xyloside:  neg NAc-α-GA:  neg Salicin:  neg
    SUBSTRATE ASSIMILATION & UTILISATION
    Monosaccharide util/assim Oligosaccharide util/assim Other carboh. util/assim Amino acid util/assim Organic acid util/assim
    Melibiose:  + Aesculin:  d Starch:  + Acetate:  + Citrate:  d Formate:  neg Lactate:  neg
    ENZYME ACTIVITY
    Enzymes: General Enzymes: Carbohydrate Enzymes: Protein Enzymes: Arylamidases Enzymes: Esters/fats
    Oxidase:  + 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

    		H2S:  neg Indole:  neg
    ANTIBIOTICS ℞
    Penicillins & Penems (μg/mL) Cephalosporins (μg/mL) Aminoglycosides (μg/mL) Macrolides (μg/mL) Quinolones (μg/mL)
    ampicillin:  Sens
    benzyl-pen:  I
    carbenicil:  I
    oxacillin:  Sens
    oleandomycin:  Res
    Tetracyclines (μg/mL) Vancomycin Class (μg/mL) Polypep/ketides (μg/mL) Heterocycles (μg/mL) Other (μg/mL)
    tetracycline:  Sens
    chloramphenicol:  I

    References

    SPECIFIC REFERENCES FOR GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS
  • Nazina2001 - Taxonomic study of aerobic thermophilic bacilli: descriptions of Geobacillus subterraneus gen. nov., sp. nov. and Geobacillus uzenensis sp. nov. from petroleum reservoirs and transfer of Bacillus stearothermophilus, Bacillus thermocatenulatus, Bacillus thermoleovorans, Bacillus kaustophilus, Bacillus thermodenitrificans to Geobacillus as the new combinations G. stearothermophilus, G. th.
  • Logan2011cBergey - Bergey's manual of systematic bacteriology. Vol. 3, The Firmicutes. Family Bacilliaceae, Genus VII. Geobacillus
  • Reva1995 - Antibiotic Susceptibility as a Taxonomic Characteristic of the Genus Bacillus.
  • ...............................
    • GUT MICROBIOME COMPILATIONS AND METASTUDIES FOR GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS
  • Lagier2016 - Culture of previously uncultured members of the human gut microbiota by culturomics.
  • RajilicStojanovic2014 - The first 1000 cultured species of the human gastrointestinal microbiota.
  • ...............................
    • GENERAL REFERENCES FOR GEOBACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILUS
  • Ludwig2009 - Revised road map to the phylum Firmicutes.
    • Added: April 08, 2021