It is a strict aerobe.
Most strains can grow on inorganic nitrogen agar and few can reduce nitrate.
They are oxidase positive. M. luteus will not produce acid from glucose or glycerol under aerobic conditions and not produce arginine dihydrolase or b-galactosidase. Carbohydrates are oxidized to CO2 and water. There is no close genetic relationship between the species on the basis of DNA hybridization studies. It was shown that genetic exchange could occur in this genus in the 1960's.