Genus Morganella
Taxonomy
Morphology
Growth conditions
Biochemical characters
Ecology
Pathogenicity
References
Proteobacteria => Gammaproteobacteria => Enterobacteriales => Enterobacteriaceae => Morganella =>
Morganella morganii * (synonym Proteus morganii) - type species of the genus, Fulton 1943
Morganella psychrotolerans,  proposed by Emborg et al. 2006
* Genetically divided in 2 subspecies M. morganii subsp. morganii & M. morganii subsp. sibonii.
Gram negative, 1.0 / 1.7 µm, straight rods.  Large, gray, moist colonies (beta
haemolytic).
No special growth requirements. Facultatively anaerobic, growth temperature 30-37°C
and below (Morganella psychrotolerans can produce toxic concentrations of histamine
in seafood at 2-5°C). Grow on: Nutrient agar or nutrient brot; Trypticase Soy Agar ± 5% sheep blood; MacConkey agar.
Widely distributed in nature (soil, water, foods). Isolated from human & animal stools.
Unknown clinical significance – opportunistic pathogen. Isolated from intestine, urinary infections, absceses, pericarditis,
endophthalmitis (most infections occurred after surgical interventions).
Morganella psychrotolerans have been involved in histamine fish poisoning caused by eating seafood in which bacteria have
produced high concentrations of histamine.
  1. Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 9th ed., 1994;
  2. Jensen K.T., Frederiksen W., Hickman-Brenner F.W., Steigerwalt A.G., Riddle C.F. & Brenner D.J.: Recognition of Morganella
    subspecies, with proposal of Morganella morganii subsp. morganii subsp. nov. and Morganella morganii subsp. sibonii
    subsp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 1992, 42, 613-620.
  3. Fulton MacD.: The identity of Bacterium columbensis Castellani. Journal of Bacteriology, 1943, 46, 79-81.
  4. Emborg Jette, Dalgard Paw & Ahrens Peter: Morganella psychrotolerans sp. nov., a histamine-producing bacterium isolated
    from various seafoods. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., 2006, 56, 2473-2479.
Subspecies morganii & sibonii cannot be biochemically differentiated. See table.

 

Pigment

Catalase

Oxidase

Lactose

ONPG

Arginine dihydrolase

Lysine decarboxylase

Ornithine decarboxylase

Morganella morganii

-

+

-

-

-

-

-

+

 

Indole production

Citrate utilization

Hydrogen sulfide

Urea hydrolysis

Voges-Proskauer

Phenilalanine

Motility

Gelatinase

Growth on KCN media

+

-

-

+

-

+

+

-

+

 

Malonate

Glucose

Gas from glucose

D-Mannitol

Inositol

D-Sorbitol

L-Rhamnose

Sucrose (Sacharose)

Melibiose

-

+

+

-

-

-

-

-

-

 

L-Arabinose

Nitrate reduction

Cellobiose

Dulcitol

Glycerol

Maltose

D-Mannose

Alfa-Methyl-D-Glucoside

Raffinose

Salicin

-

+

-

-

-

-

+

-

-

-

 

Trehalose

D-Xylose

Mucate

Tartrate (Jordans)

Esculin hydrolysis

Acetate utilization

Deoxyribonuclease

Lipase

Mehyl red

D-Adonitol

-

-

-

+

-

-

-

-

+

-
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