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Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Veterinary bacteriology: information about important bacteria
Veterinary bacteriology


Species/Subspecies: Proteus vulgaris
Category: Motile
Etymology: Genus name: named after an ocean god (Proteus), who could transform himself into different shapes
Species epithet: common
Significance:  [Very important]   
Taxonomy:
Phylum
Pseudomonadota
Class
Gammaproteobacteria
Order
Enterobacterales
Family
Morganellaceae 
Genus
Proteus
Type Strain: ATCC 29905.
Macromorphology (smell):
Proteus vulgaris  Proteus vulgaris  
Swarms across the plate and gives no individual colonies. Has a characteristic odor.
Micromorphology: Small (0.5 x 1-3 µm) motile rod with peritrichous flagella
Gram +/Gram -:
Proteus vulgaris  
G-
Metabolism: Facultatively anaerobic
Catalase/Oxidase:+/-
Other Enzymes: Urease +
Fermentation of carbohydrates:
D-glucose
+
lactose
-
maltose
+
L-rhamnose
(-)
sucrose
+
L-arabinose
-
cellobiose
-
D-mannitol
-
salicin
v
trehalose
v
glycerol
v
inulin
?
raffinose
-
D-sorbitol
-
starch
?
Gas and acid are formed during fermentation of glucose.
Spec. Char.:
Special Media:
Proteus vulgaris  Proteus vulgaris  
CLED agar is used to avoid that Proteus spp. are swarming. MacConkey agar can also be used to avoid that Proteus spp. are swarming, if NaCl is omitted from the medium.
Reservoir: Soil and water
Disease:
HostsDiseaseClinical picture
DogCystitis and otitis externaOpportunistic pathogen, which belongs to the normal gut flora of animals.
HumansCystitis and woundsOpportunistic pathogen, which belongs to the normal gut flora of man.
16S rRNA Seq.:
Acc-noStrainNumber of NTOperon
DQ885257 (T) 1478  

Taxonomy/phylogeny:
Proteus vulgaris  
Ten species have been described within genus Proteus and these are found in nature as saprophytes.
Comment:Swarms
Reference(s): No. 174
Updated:2023-03-29

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