ABIS Encyclopedia

Tatumella ptyseos

Taxonomy

Morphology

Cultural characteristics

Biochemical characters

Ecology

Pathogenicity

References

Phylum Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria), Class Gammaproteobacteria, Order Enterobacterales, Family Erwiniaceae, Genus
Tatumella, Tatumella ptyseos Hollis et al. 1982, type species of the genus.

Gram-negative, rods, 0.6-0.8 x 1.6-3.0 μm. Non-motile (at 25 and 35 ºC). Fibriae are
present, but not flagella. Nonspore-forming.

On blood agar at 24 h, colonies are 0.5 to 1.0 mm in diameter, low convex with entire
edges, semitranslucent, smooth,and glossy. The colonies are slightly smaller than
other Enterobacteriaceae. Grows on MacConkey, eosin methylene blue, Tergitol
7,and brilliant green agar. Poor growth on Mueller-Hinton agar. Growth occurs at 25
and 36 ºC, but not at 42 ºC. Facultatively anaerobic.

Isolated from human and animal clinical specimens, respiratory tract and sputum, rarely from blood.
Susceptible to amikacin, ampicillin, carbenicillin, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, kanamycin, tetracycline and tobramycin.

Rare opportunistic pathogen. Causes infection usually in patients with low immunity (associated with diabetes and tuberculosis). May
be associated with bacteremia and urinary tract infections. Newborn and old organisms are more susceptible.

J. G. Holt et al., 1994. Facultatively Anaerobic Gram-Negative Rods. Subgroup 1. Family Enterobacteriaceae. In: Begey’s Manual of
Determinative Bacteriology, 9th-edition, Williams & Wilkins, pp 175-189.
Berkta M., Uzun K., Bozkurt H., Kurto lu M.G., Güdücüo lu H., Ayd nS.: Pulmonary Infection of Tatumella ptyseos developed on the
background of pulmonary tuberculosis. Eastern Journal of Medicine 6 (1): 33-34, 2001.
Hollis D.G., Hickman F.W., Fanning G.R., Farmer III J.J., Weaver R.E. & Brenner D.J.: Tatumella ptyseos gen. nov., sp. nov., a
member of the family Enterobacteriaceae found in clinical specimens. J. Clin. Microbiol., 1981, 14, 79-88.
Don J. Brenner and J.J. Farmer III, 2001. Family I. Enterobacteriaceae. In: Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Second
edition, Vol two, part B, George M. Garrity (Editor-in-Chief), pp 587-897.

Positive results for catalase, nitrate reduction, acid production from glucose, mannose and trehalose.

Negative results for acetate utilization, esculin hydrolysis , DN-ase, gelatin hydrolysis, H2S production, indole production, lysine
decarboxylase, lipase, ornithine decarboxylase, oxidase, tartrate, Jordan’s, urea hydrolysis, acid production from cellobiose, dulcitol,
glycogen, meso-inositol, inulin, lactose, maltose, mannitol, melezitose, L-rhamnose, and alpha-methyl-D-glucoside.

Variable results for esculin hydrolysis, acid production from galactose, melibiose, salicin and raffinose.