Enterobacter

Enterobacter cloacae Colonies on nutrient agar plate

In the bacteria of the genus Enterobacter is a group of facultative anaerobic gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacteria are flagellated and peritrichous occur in almost all habitats, including the human intestine before. There they belong to the normal intestinal flora.

Only a few species of the genus Enterobacter are pathogenic, so please E. aerogenes, E. cloacae and E. sakazakii ( Cronobacter sakazakii recently ) rarely the cause of urinary tract inflammation, meningitis, or respiratory infections.

Metabolism

The members of the genus Enterobacter are chemoorganotroph, that is, they build to generate energy from organic substances. They are facultative anaerobes: If oxygen is present, they have an oxidative energy metabolism, they oxidize the organic matter to carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and water; when no oxygen is present, so under anoxic conditions, they use the 2.3 - Butandiolgärung for energy. This produces a final product, especially in large amounts of alcohol 2,3- butanediol and CO2, along with small amounts of, inter alia, various acids.

In other genera of the Enterobacteriaceae, such as Escherichia and Salmonella family, the mixed acid fermentation, anaerobic Energiestoffwechselweg, wherein in contrast to the Butandiolgärung produce large amounts of acid (acetic acid, lactic acid and succinic acid) as final products, but no butanediol. This feature is used to distinguish from the Enterobacteriaceae genera. Serves the Voges - Proskauer test, with the acetoin, an intermediate 2,3- Butandiolgärung detected. Enterobacter and Klebsiella react positive here.

Types (selection)

  • E. aerogenes Hormaeche & Edwards 1960
  • E. amnigenus Izard et al. 1981
  • E. cloacae ( Jordan 1890) Hormaeche & Edwards 1960
  • E. gergoviae Brenner et al. 1980
  • E. intermedius Corrig. Izard et al. 1980
  • E. pyrinus Chung et al. 1993

Is placed in the genus Cronobacter Lately:

  • Cronobacter sakazakii (Farmer et al., 1980) Iversen et al. 2008

Different types of Enterobacter were previously provided to genera such as Erwinia and Aerobacter.

Proteobacteria Gammaproteobacteria Anoxic waters 2,3-Butanediol Voges–Proskauer test
309426
de