Arthrobacter sialophilus sp. nov.; a neuraminidase-producing coryneform.

A new species of Arthrobacter is described for which the name A. sialophilus is proposed. The organism was obtained by elective culture from soil using Collocalia mucoid, and can readily be induced in replacement minimal media with appropriate substrates, to form the enzyme neuraminidase. It undergoes sphere-rod-sphere morphogenesis, is gram-variable, non-motile, aerobic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, fails to release acid or gas from saccharides, has a GC content of 56.0 mol % and can grow at temperatures up to 45 degrees C. The peptidoglycan composition of its spherical form contains neither diaminopimelic acid nor arabinose as components, but does manifest the presence of glycine. Its generation time at 30 degrees C on tryptone-yeast extract medium is 1.6 h. Accessory growth factors do not appear to be required. The organism, though colorless in the dark, provides a bright yellow water-insoluble pigment after exposure to light. The foregoing combination of properties distinguishes this isolate from other well-described Arthrobacter spp.