Mycobacterium confluentis

Mycobacterium confluentis is a non-pathogenic bacterium of the oral cavity. 

Description
Gram-positive, nonmotile, acid-fast coccobacillus (0.5-0.8 µm x 0.7-1.7 µm), does not form spores, capsules or aerial hyphae. 

Physiology
Rapid growth within 2 to 4 days on Löwenstein-Jensen media at 22 °C, 31 °C, 37 °C and 41 °C (optimum growth between 31 °C and 37 °C). 
In vitro susceptibility to isoniazid, ethambutol and streptomycin. 

Differential characteristics
Differentiation from other thermotolerant mycobacteria by its inability to grow at temperatures of more than 41 °C. 
Separation from other rapidly growing mycobacteria by its susceptibility to antituberculotic drugs. 
Differentiated from the phenotypic closely related M. thermoresistibile by its inability to grow at 52 °C. 

Pathogenesis
Not associated with disease.   Biosafety level 1. 

Type strain
First isolated from sputum, Koblenz, Germany. 
strain 1389/90 = ATCC 49920 = CIP 105510 = DSM 44017 = JCM 13671. 

References

Kirschner et al.  1992.  Mycobacterium confluentis sp.  nov.  Int.  J. Syst.  Bacteriol.,  42, 257-262. 

External links
Type strain of Mycobacterium confluentis at BacDive -  the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase

Category:Acid-fast bacilli
confluentis
Category:Bacteria described in 1992