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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Proteus mirabilis
Category: Motile
Etymology: Genus name: named after an ocean god (Proteus), who could transform himself into different shapes
Species epithet: wonderful
Significance:  [Very important]   
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Proteobacteria
Class
Gammaproteobacteria
Order
Enterobacterales
Family
Morganellaceae 
Genus
Proteus
Type Strain: ATCC 29906 = CCUG 26767 = NCTC 11938.
Macromorphology (smell):
 
Swarms across the blood agar plate and gives no individual colonies.
Micromorphology: Small (0.5 x 1-3 µm) and motile rod with peritrichous flagella.
Gram +/Gram -:
 
G-
Metabolism: Fakultatively anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:+/-
Other Enzymes: Urease +
Biochemical Tests: Methyl Red +, tryptophanase (indole) -, Voges-Proskauer V
Fermentation of carbohydrates:
D-glucose
+
lactose
-
maltose
-
L-rhamnose
-
sucrose
(-)
L-arabinose
-
cellobiose
-
D-mannitol
-
salicin
-
trehalose
+
glycerol
v
inulin
?
raffinose
-
D-sorbitol
-
starch
?
Gas and acid are formed during fermentation of glucose.
Spec. Char.:
Special Media:
Proteus mirabilis  
P. mirabilis swarms on purple agar, but not on MacConkey agar or CLED agar.
Disease:
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
DogOtitis and urinary tract infectionsOpportunistic pathogen, which belongs to the normal gut flora of animals
Genome Sequence:
Acc-noStrainSize (bp)Genome
NC_010554 HI4320 4 063 606 1c + 1c 

16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
AF008582 ATCC 29906T 1497 

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
 
Ten species have been deskribed within genus Proteus and these are found in nature as saprophytes.
Comment:Swarms
Reference(s): No. 174
Updated:2022-09-21

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